{ when I have a few pennies to spare... }

{ blouse, jacket, trousers, heels }

 

I haven't been clothes shopping in quite some time, and I must say, I miss that rush of trekking home with a bag full of new goodies! It's not a huge priority for the moment, as I have many other things to take care of first (like getting an apartment), but when I dooo have a few pennies to spare, I definitely plan to hit up Miss Dorothy Perkins. I always find such great deals on this site, though I've never actually purchased from them before. Does anyone have any first hand experience with the quality of their items? I'll admit, $57 for a blouse sounds a little steep for me, personally, because I typically buy that kind of thang from H&M or the Nordstrom Rack where you can usually find decent deals around $30. But! Who knows. Sometimes ya just have to shine your shoes.

 

Just in case you were a wonderin', there is a reason that I've been spending some time window shopping online lately...I'll be filling all of you in tomorrow, so be sure to check back :).

 

Thanks for stopping in guys. I hope you have a marvelous Monday. lovelovelove.

 

-C

 



{ wanna know a secret? }

I got lots of sweet compliments on this little ensemble that I wore to The Everygirl Contributors party at The Bedford the other night, and I just thought I had to share the little secret.

I'm dressed head to toe in Target, y'all.

The only part of that that embarrasses me is that I hate wearing head to toe of any store. I always feel like such a dork walking into H&M because half the time I look like the mannequin. #needtogetoutmore.

Anyway, this stuff is awesome. The leather panel leggings were $30, as was the top, and the shoes were actually on sale for $20, I believe. I did, however, mix things up by throwing in my Blair Ritchey Mini Lulu in pale pink. I really love all of Blair's pieces (I mean, who doesn't?). 

Shop the look here:

{leather panel leggings, white blouse, snakeskin pumps, blair ritchey mini lulu}

Something neato is happening today that I don't want to share with you just yet...but fingers crossed I can soon! Just send good vibes, please :).

I'm heading to Cincinnati this weekend which I am so.excited.for. 

I think a little weekend away from work, the hustle and bustle, a few brewskis and glasses of wine with old friends, and quality time with Trevor is just what the doctor ordered.

Have an awesome weekend guys. Thanks so much for stopping in. lovelovelove.

-C

{ Treasure Hunting: Cincinnati }

Guys. I have so much to do before I leave for Chicago tomorrow that it's a little insane. I have no business being on the computer at the moment. I also had no business taking a few extra moments to browse my favorite furniture consignment shop in Cincinnati, but hey. It happened. And despite my current stress level, I have no regrets. Here were a few of my favorite finds (pardon the iphone photos):

Holy. Tufted. Goodness. This was sold for $995, which isn't dirt cheap obviously, but also not unreasonable for this piece. It was in incredible shape, and made beautifully. Drool.

These would normally be a little too glam for my taste (not that I don't enjoy them, they're just not necessarily my typical schtick), but I found them rather unique, and I'm a total sucker for a good vase. I love the unexpected pop of color inside. 

There is nothing like a good windsor bench in an entryway. I have the perfect spot for one in my own apartment, but I don't have much motivation to make any large purchases at the moment seeing as I'm leaving this place for three months tomorrow. Would love to see this painted black (and sans the fruit bowl pillow).

pretty sea of gold rimmed glasses.

Location Change: These coasters were not found in the consignment shop, but I stumbled across them in Anthropologie and couldn't resist sharing. I loooove them. Especially in Milk and Honey, Seafoam, Pink Panther, and Green. Oh who am I kidding? I love all the colors. A set of these would instantly add a serious dose of interest to your coffee table. Pretty, pretty, pretty.

Well folks, it's off to work I go, and then back here to pack/do laundry/clean/more work etc. etc.

Wish me luck! Talk to you all tomorrow. Thanks so much for stopping in. lovelovelove.

-C

{ Totes Cute }

During my search for a summer tote, I stumbled across this Rebecca Minkoff beauty.

Isn't she beautiful? I love the beige details in contrast with the blue. Fun, yet practical. I think we would be very happy together.

I let myself drift off into the online shopping abyss a little further and added these items to my wish list:

One: Heidi Merrick Huntington Dress

Two: Alice + Olivia Patsy Peplum Top

Three: Rory Beca Jones Fishtail Wrap Gown

Any fun things on your summer wish list?

thanks for stopping in everyone :) lovelovelove.

-C

*by the way, sorry for the late post! My internet was finally fixed today so we should be back to our regular scheduled programming ;)

{ Treasure Hunting: Latest Finds in Cincinnati and Baltimore }

My time off is almost always spent browsing flea markets, thrift stores, consignment shops, HomeGoods, etc. I love hunting for deals and I hate feeling like I'm missing out on something, so I feel it necessary to browse for treasures a LOT. Hunting for deals is really hit or miss so you have to frequent the stores often in order to strike gold. There's a consignment shop in Cincinnati called Legacies Consignment which I had been in about a year ago, but never returned to until recently. This time around, I found so many goodies that I didn't even get to photograph, but here's just a few of my favorite finds:

Chevron Curtains! I couldn't find a price tag unfortunately, but I was so surprised to see them in a consignment shop considering chevron is rather trendy.

I loved the lines of this nightstand, and it was under $100.

Neat wall clock, yes?

Gahhh. I LOVE this butler tray. I desperately want to decorate a bachelor pad for someone and place this in it as a bar area. So, so neat. I wish I could remember the exact price of this, but I'm 97% sure it was under $200.

I liked these plates for some fun color inspiration.

Brass lamp heaven?

Brass sconce heaven. $33.00, it looks like.

This amaze chair could be yours for $225. 

I loved this one too. $125. I'd definitely recover and *possibly* paint it (but maybe not). Great deal, though.

And then there was this lady. Whom I just met mere hours ago while browsing a consignment shop in Baltimore, MD (I'm here for a few days this week! It's where I grew up, incaseyadidn'tknow). She costs only $89.00 and if it was ANY OTHER WEEK I seriously would have snatched her up within seconds of spotting her, but unfortunately, I have to make the grown up decision to walk away due to things called bills, groceries, and gas. You have no idea how much it pains me. I would probably paint her some fun, bright color (or glossy white, or black?!) and recover in some type of punchy fabric. I'm going to stop talking about it before I get teary.

SO, what about you guys? Have you spotted any treasures lately? 

Thanks for stopping by the blog today! I'm going to try to post as regularly as possible while I'm away for a couple of days. Oh, ALSO, I'm about to go get my haircut at the salon my wonderful sister works at. I'm so excited. It's been an embarrassingly long time since I've gotten a cut. Maybe even a year and half. But don't tell anyone that, k?

-C

{ A Colorful Welcome }

via overstock

via overstock

via urbanoutfitters

Something is happening in my old age. Im normally so drawn to neutrals (and while I still consider them my number one boyfriend) I've been eyeing up lots of color lately. I think this whole "neon" trend might be getting to me. Im considering switching out my current entryway rug, and these were calling to me as I was perusing the interwebs this morning. Nevermind that most of them won't work in my home. Just notice how lovely they are. 

Thoughts?

Also, did you all check out The Everygirl yesterday? It's more than I imagined it would be! I love the features so far, and I'm also a big fan of the Handbook PDFs that they're providing! I printed both the budget and the kitchen essentials one yesterday. Truth be told I haven't filled the "budget" one out yet because I'm not sure I want to face reality just yet ;). In due time, in due time.

Thanks for stopping by today, y'all. I hope you have a wonderful day. 

lovelovelove.

-C

{ Life Lately }

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

1. I saw this gold bow bracelet cuff in a boutique shop the other weekend and fell in love. My bank account didn't agree with me, but I was sure we were soul mates.

2. This grey and white striped pullover from Lululemon is on my wishlist. It's perfect for running during the chillier days of the year, and it's a little more fun than basic black. 

3. I can't for the life of me remember who this dress was by, but it was in this adorable shop in Hyde Park and i.wanted.it. Normally I'm a neutral girl, but something about this transported me to a fun summer day, walking around with a mojito in hand. Don't mind if I do. 

4. I saw this bench at an antique/consignment store and really wanted to snatch it up to recover it and put in my entry way (it was only $40!) I think it would be a really precious dining bench too. Ah, what fabric would I use?

5. These velvet tufted ottoman/stools were at Homegoods yesterday and they would look amaze in my living room. I can't remember exactly how much they were but I just love them. Actually. I'm still thinking about them. Maybe I'll check back in a few weeks and see if they're still there? How do we feel about them, everyone?

6. Floofy rug at Homegoods. I don't need this, so it makes no sense to buy it, but I love it in this lighter, ivory color. Definitely feminine, but hey, I am a girl.

So? What do y'all think? See anything you like? Done any shopping lately?
 (By shopping, I clearly mean window shopping. Le sigh.)

Alright, lovelies. As per usual, I'm off to class. Afterwards I'm going to spend some time getting my apartment together and taking new pictures for a House Tour page. Stay tuned.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.


lovelovelove.

-C

{ Favorite Budget Buys }

I'm definitely not one to believe that price is directly proportional to quality. I don't consider myself cheap necessarily, but I am frugal. Here are a few of my favorite deals as of late:

One Kings Lane-$49.00

This large wool basket would look delightful in a living room to house extra blankets. Cozy in a basket.

Overstock-$151.99

This is almost too good to be true. 150 bucks for an 8x10 rug?! They also have it in blue and black, and on Overstock, shipping is only $2.95. 

Ikea-$179

A crisp, white tulip table for under $200. Ohhh, the possibilities. Pair this with some bistro chairs and pretty blooms and I'm the happiest lady around.

World Market-$99

I've been wanting a tripod lamp for many moons. I can just picture it perched next to my sofa. Ah, yes.

World Market-$329

I love this daybed for an office that doubles as a space for guests, a place to curl up and read a book, or a studio apartment. So pretty and cozy, and for something that doubles as a sofa and a bed, it wont break the bank.

Urban Outfitters-$119

Urban Outfitters-$39

Urban Outfitters-$64

Urban Outfitters is killin' it in the lighting department. I want all of these.

Thoughts? See anything you like? Scored any budget buys of your own lately?

Thanks for stopping in everyone. Hope you're having a wonderful week. lovelovelove.

-C

{ Love Note: Terrain for Fall }

I love that you can roll this out for an impromptu picnic or carry it with you on a plane to bundle up with ease.

Beautiful packaging for open kitchen shelves

I'd love to store some bright green pears and apples in here to add some style to a plain jane kitchen.

1. Pendleton Travel Throw 2. Rustic Oval Mirror 3. Velvet Pumpkin 4. Welsh Tapestry Pillow 5. Bellocq Le Hammeau Tea 5. Tiered Tin Basket  

I've loved Terrain for quite some time now, but especially during Fall. The entire store allows an array of options to completely cozify your home. Just browsing the site urges me to curl up with a cup of hot cider and bake some pumpkin speeds. Heavenly.

It's finally the weekend! I was starting to doubt it would ever get here, yet I'm not sure I'm ready for it because I feel like I've got so much to do. Being productive at night after a long day of work and classes feels near impossible lately. I can't wait for the days that no longer include homework.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

lovelovelove. 

-C