Friday Finds July 31

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Originally uploaded by Peldyn

This shopping trip found me at Forever 21. As it was hot I was looking for some cool styles that were budget friendly and cute. I can definitely say that I was in the right place. While I was ostensibly looking for camis, I was drawn to this gorgeous black bustier. It was all beaded and covered in lace and ribbons. So flirty! And at $22.50 not a pursebreaker. I snatched it up gleefully and headed to the cami section.

bustier
Originally uploaded by Peldyn






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Originally uploaded by Peldyn
In the cami section I was greeted with a head turning display of colors. I swear a unicorn threw up a rainbow! *giggle* It was very hard restraining myself. Every color imaginable was there and the basic cami was only $2.50. Yes, that is right. You are not misreading this. Two dollars and fifty cents a piece. Is it no wonder I wanted them ALL? But restrain myself I did and I walked away with a mere armload.



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Originally uploaded by Peldyn
Now that my shopping for basics was done I needed a little bling. I found just what I needed at Aldo in this set of silver-tone bracelets. There are 14 of them in the set and at only $15.00 they were quite a bargain. Nice and heavy they tinkle sweetly at my wrists. No cheap, thin metal are these! I liked them so much I bought two sets :)

Exhausted I needed lunch so the husband and I had Mongolian BBQ, Yummers! Then he took me to see the new Harry Potter movie. It was not as good as I had hoped it would be, but not as bad as people had said it was. All in all a good day out.

Nautical Inclinations

Every Spring nautical designs turn up in runway collections like clockwork. It is so stereotypical that I have so far resisted any type of nautical theme until now. I don't know if it was nostalgia for that old Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra movie Anchors Aweigh, or just plain whimsy one my part. Or maybe it was the really cute options I have been seeing in the shops and online that finally whetted my appetite for the nautical look. Either way, I caved. Here you can see how I put together two looks.

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Originally uploaded by Peldyn

Here I have styled a tank top from Hollister that was hand me down from a friend. The skirt was on sale from Anthropologie for $70.00 and I just couldn't resist it. Shoes from Payless for $15.00 and finally to finish the look a bracelet from Wet Seal for $2.00. A cute and casual nautical style that is playful and fun!



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Originally uploaded by Peldyn
This look is a more subtle play on the nautical theme. More retro in style, I took a blouse from Kimchi Blue that I bought on ebay for 19.00, sailor style pants from Express that I also bought on ebay for $24.99 and added my favorite shoes from Aldo on that were on sale for $59.00 with 10% off coupon on top of that!! Yeah! The total outfit looks polished and sophisticated. I feel like a 1940's movie star when I wear it! Who thought waiting for the fleet to come in could look so awesome *grin*


*Note This was written before I fell ill.

Friday Finds July 24

fridayfindsJuly24
Originally uploaded by Peldyn

Marshall's was an unexpected treasure trove for me this week. I found this gorgeous silk satin dress by Oleg Cassini for only $29.00. But the best deal was the basket clutch by Micheal Kors. I was walking past the display and caught it out of the corner of my eye. My heart literally stopped in my chest when I saw it. It was perfection! Only $39.00! Originally $140.00! Wow! I had to pare down my hand bag quite a bit, but who cares! I feel so chic when I carry this lovely clutch. It is worth only having a lippy, credit card and drivers license now.

fridayfindsJuly24
Originally uploaded by Peldyn

Dollhouse Spectator Oxford shoes from DSW. Only $10.00! These awesome shoes are perfect now and also for the Fall and Winter. Totally retro and totally cool. The original DSW price was $49.50 and the receipt said I saved an additional $15.50 off the retail price! Yowzah! This was an amazing week for Bargains.

Sidelined By Illness

The past couple of months I have been ill and not able to post due to that and the many doctors and emergency room visits. Luckily I found a great surgeon and had my gallbladder removed in June. I am recovering nicely and will be posting again! I have a couple articles I started before I was ill that I will finish and post well as new articles and features. I will fix the links and freshen up the site all the rest of this week. It will be good to be back :)

Pattern Play

Your mother may have told you never to mix your patterns. Well, your mother was wrong. Done properly patterns can be quite delightful when mixed and add an eclectic and funky flair to your look. The trick is to remember to keep the proportions in balance and color families matched. It is easy to overdo it but with a little practice you will get a feel for what is right. Here I will show you a few ways that you can mix patterns to add that certain edge.

This first look I have combined three different patterns in three different sizes. Grey and white striped pants and floral blouse from Forever21, argyle cardigan from NY&Company. Cami is from Aeropostale, pumps from Payless, necklace and bracelet from Cookie Lee.

Why it works: The largest size pattern is on top with the medium in the center and the smallest pattern on the bottom. This sets the proportion. By working with a limited color palette of grey and green it keeps the look simple and uncluttered which can happen when working with so many patterns.

Here is a look with one dominant pattern. Striped pants from Wet Seal, striped jacket from Target and a floral graphic patterned top from Forever21. Wedge heeled peep toe shoes are from urbanoriginals on ebay, cuff bracelet from Claires and necklace from Forever21 add a little panache.

Why it works: The stripes on the pants and jacket are both widely spaced to help balance the bold color and print of the top. A thin pinstripe would not work here. The colors of the pants and jacket are also not too dark. This way they do not compete with, but merely complement the top.

This outfit has two dominant patterns at work. Silk Asian floral top from Arden B, Plaid skirt from BCBGMaxAzaria. Back up from a vintage belt, peep toe Mary Janes from urbanoriginals on ebay, bracelet and earrings from Forever21

Why it works: With such dominant patterns you have to keep the colors in the same family and the scale of both prints need to be the same to stay in balance.

Here are three pieces all in micro-patterns. Micro-patterned blouse from Target, Pinstriped vest from Forever21, Herringbone pants from Wet Seal. Necklace is from Cookie Lee, Vintage style bow pumps from urbanoriginals on ebay.

Why it works: All the pieces have such a small pattern that from a distance they look like a solid color, grey pants, black vest and bluey-beige blouse. In addition they all have the common color of black in their pattern which also helps to unite the look.

This last look is two simple patterns. Floral print blouse from Forever21, Pinstriped skirt from Zizibeh along with Miss Me Pumps from a boutique in Georgia, bracelet from Forever21, earrings from Claire's.
Why it works: The pinstripe skirt is subtle and balanced by the small print of the blouse. This is the easiest of all the looks to pull off since a small pinstripe can be used like a solid color when making an outfit.

So now that you have some examples, take a look in your closet and see what you can put together that you may have never thought of before! I promise I won't tell your mother. *wink*

New Features

There are a few new features here at Style on a Shoestring. I will be searching out coupon codes and posting them when I find them and I will also post sales when I see them Hopefully this will help us all save a little money in these tough times. No one likes to have to forgo their fashion even in bad economic times! So look for these items in the left sidebar. I will post them as often as I can.

Beth