06.18.2014

Hot Nights and Ice Cold Sangria.


Putting outfits together is such a fun and easy thing for me to do, but hair challenges me a little bit more.  And makeup? Let's just say I haven't quite won that battle yet. But I thought I'd tackle the biggest battle I've faced so far in womanhood...cooking (well, kind of). The idea came to me when Kelli and I were walking through the aisles of Walgreens trying to decide what we should drink for our Saturday night pre-game besides Redbull-vodka and vodka lemonades. We literally stood there in the middle of the aisle Googling "easy mixed drinks", got frustrated, and ended up settling for a cranberry-strawberry mixed juice that was slightly underwhelming.

My craving for Sangria came on when Tyler and I went to dinner last night at Malo (located in the Des Moines Social Club) and I was in dire need of a drink after a long Tuesday at work. Oddly enough, a lush like myself had never tried Sangria before and it happened to be one of the cheaper things on the menu ($5), so I thought i'd give it a try. It was love at first sip. So now here we are with my newest post on how I made my very own jug of white wine Sangria.

I was pretty excited to get home from work to get to cooking (ok more like mixing). I told Tyler I was extremely busy blogging and Kelli was busy studying, so I had the whole apartment to myself. I stopped at my neighborhood Dahls to stock up on groceries for my Sangria adventure. I decided to get oranges, peaches, and mango because those always seem to go well together and then stopped by the liquor aisle and picked up a 1.5 liter bottle of wine, and of course a bottle of champagne for good measure. I figured I would be masking the taste of wine with lots of fruit so quality wasn't my biggest concern and ended up splurging for the $7 liter of Moscato. I may or may not have grabbed a $50 bottle of Veuve Clicquot to put it in my basket before quickly realizing how poor I really am and how many outfits at TJ Maxx that one bottle would buy me. So once I came to my senses, I settled on the good old $10 champagne and called it quits.

Besides cutting the fruit (and my finger) and setting it all up for a picture, this was probably one of the easier things I've ever made. I also had to feature my beautiful star gazer lilies and peonies that I got last weekend from the farmers market for $7.50. Since everyone can use Google I won't give you a step by step on what I did. But I did break this down and 1.5 liters of wine made into Sangria only cost me $1.50 for juice, $2.90 for oranges, $1.00 for mangos, $4.25 for peaches, and $7.00 for wine, which ends up being around $2.75 per cup. I was pretty proud of that since Malo charged $5.00 a glass and mine was just as good if not better!

I had to include pictures because the Sangria looked just as good as it tasted. Boo was even interested in wtf I was doing placing flowers and booze on the living room floor in the middle of the afternoon. Even though this may only last Kelli and I a day or so, it is a fun and easy summer drink that we could enjoy on a Saturday night. In conclusion, Sangria may or may not be my new favorite drink.

06.10.4014

Femininity That's A Little Rough Around the Edges.

Since everyone is too busy for me lately and Kelli decided that studying for her medical school boards was more important than devoting all her time to my blog, I decided I had to double up on my picture taking efforts last week. So if you notice some similarity in hair styles/makeup/venue/ and weather patterns, then you my friend, have a good eye. Yeah, maybe my models consist of my best friends who were forced to change in the front seat of a Oldsmobile Alero during a rain storm, but hey I warned you that I would be blogging on a budget!

Between the speedy outfit changes and the rain storm I was able to get two more ensembles out of Kelli and Heather. They both feature one of my best buys in the past few years, a leather jacket. I was at Target one day and saw this leather (okay pleather) jacket for $36, and for those who know me, that was pushing the upper limit of my budget. I decided that I would wear it at least 36 times which meant I would get my money's worth (self justification). Well it ended up being the right call because between myself, Kelli and any of my other friends that steal my stuff, it has paid for it's self and then some.

Leather is often associated with masculinity (think biker gang), but it is obviously one of my favorites so I thought I would pair it with a few of my (Kelli's) most feminine pieces and let the contrasting styles compliment each other. The first look I put Kelli in is a gorgeous pink lace dress from Charlotte Russe for only $18, matched with my leather jacket. Kelli originally bought it for a wedding which it was perfect for, but now I wanted to give it a dressed down/tougher look that you can wear for a night out/ dinner date. I have noticed a big transition in my jewelry choices in the past year. I used to be in a serious relationship with anything silver, and the thought of cheating with gold would have never crossed my mind. Now I can match gold with anything and everything, hence the gold overload on Kelli's arm.

The next look features my favorite summer trend, floral. Whether it is a floral top, dress, shorts, or in this case a romper, I have become obsessed. I actually just purchased another floral top from Marshall's the other day for $9.99 that my even my 11 year-old sister approved of. Unfortunately for tall people like myself, rompers are NOT our best friends. They are always too short and give you that unfortunate camel toe (TMI?). So for my petite/short girls out there, rompers were definitely made for you. Kelli came home with this floral romper from TJ Maxx ($15) and I immediately yelled at her for not getting a bigger size so it would fit me. When I settled down a little, I thought this would be the perfect match for my leather (yes, yes I know PLEATHER) jacket. Wedges are another thing I don't think you can make it through summer without. I paired  both these looks with wedges and it definitely dressed up both looks. If you want to go a little more casual with these outfits, add a pair of flats/sandals and you're set.

Kelli's Look

Leather Jacket- Target- $36

Lace Dress- Charlotte Russe- $18

Wedges- Target- $25

Bracelets- Premire- $ 20 a piece (party discount)

Watch- Michael Kors- Christmas Present

Total- $99

Heather's Look

Leather Jacket- Target- $36

Romper- TJ Maxx- $15

Wedges- Target- $24

Necklace- Charlotte Russe- $5

Total- $80

06.04.2014

You don't have to be in the military to wear a military jacket.

So between all the "hard core sports" I've been playing, squeezing in roommate/friend time, and being mildy obsessed with my boyfriend since he's been home, I've been slacking in my blogging duties. I decided to step it up a little and give you a little 2-for-1 on this post.

A month or so ago Kelli came home from a shopping trip with this beautiful dark green army/military jacket that she got at Old Navy on sale for only $10!!!! I was in love from the moment I laid eyes on it and have been plotting my next photo shoot since that moment. I know that it's a little late for a jacket post since it's early June and was 85 yesterday, but I just couldn't hold out until next fall. I tried to make these looks as summery as possible since I know it's not super realistic to wear a jacket in the middle of summer, but plllllease bear with me.

Last night was the first free night that we have all had in quite a while so I reserved as many friends as possible (ended up being only two). Of course the one free night we had they were predicting storms, wind, hail, and even tornados, but I was determined to blog and wasn't going to let the weather stop me. I apologize that these aren't the best quality pictures- we had a 30 minute window to get as many good pictures as possible. Soooo again please bear with me :)

Kelli was up first, she didn't have a lot of time to get ready so don't mind the crazy hair and lack of makeup ; ).  Of course the outfit is centered around the green military jacket. Heather had this brand new tank she got from Nordstom, that I really loved and had to feature as well, and Kelli got the acid washed jeans at a super sale for $15 (yes flash back to the 90's).  This outfit is more casual and again, not super summery (because of the jacket) but I am in love with it and would wear it on several different occasions. I have the best time shopping in my friend's closets, putting outfits together, and forcing them to model them for me. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are three to show you how well this look came together.

Like I said earlier, I have been the worse blogger in history lately, so I wanted to give you two looks in one post. As soon as we came back from Kelli's photo shoot, I forced Heather to throw her hair up and put on the outfit I had lined up for her. At this time the rain had picked up a little, so we had to find some cover for her photo shoot. There are some apartments down the road that have all these gorgeous brick archways so we took shelter there. Again I apologize for the low quality of these picture. Heather's look is attempting to channel summer as well. She is slightly obsessed with bunnies so I thought this shirt of her's was perfect. You can also ditch the coat (even though that is sort of the point) and wear this tank with the short, necklace and sandals for a full-fledged summer night out.

Kel's Outfit
Jacket- Old Navy- $10
Shirt- Nordstom- $10
Jeans- Younkers- $15
Sandals- TJ Maxx- $15
Necklace- Target- $12
Total- $62

Heather's Outfit
Jacket- Old Navy- $10
Shirt- Macys- $18
Shorts- Forever 21- $18
Sandals- TJ Maxx- $15
Necklace- Premier- $20 (discount for hosting party : ) )
Total-$81

05.15.2014

Urban Decay Naked 2: The Smokey Eye for Dummies.

A typical Saturday night in my apartment consists of:

5:00 pm- Jump in the shower
6:30 pm- The girls show up
6:31 pm- Start pouring drinks
6:45 pm- Start doing the hair whom ever calls first
9:00 pm- Finish all the girls' hair
9:01 pm- Start on everyone's make up.
10:00 pm- Finish makeup (feeling accomplished and a little drunk at this time)
10:01 pm- Drunkenly attempt to do my own hair and makeup (end up looking like crap)
10:30 pm- Everyone yelling at me to hurry my ass up and get out the door (even though I just devoted hours of MY time to them)
10:35 pm- Out the door and in a cab (on a good night)

So I was thinking, I could save myself A LOT of time by teaching them all how to do their own makeup!  This opens up more time to devote to myself :) as well as mix another drink or two.  Plus, Heather has been begging me to give her a step by step tutorial on how to use my Naked pallet.  So here we go- a literal step by step (pictures included) of a brown smokey eye using my Naked 2 pallet, my bdellium tools 777 make-up brushes, my AMAZING Mary Kay gel liner, and Clinique mascara.

I typically start by taking the light color, Tease, and cover the entire lid, crease, and upper portion of the eye.  This light color is good for an everyday eye if you want to wear it alone.  Or, if applied heavily it can achieve the smokey look by itself.  This is one of the most commonly used and versatile colors in my Naked pallet.

The next color I chose is called YDK. It looks relatively dark in the pallet, but when you put it over Tease it gives you a shimmery brown look.  You have to apply it pretty thick to darken the eye, or again just put it on by itself for a light shimmery brown eye.  The picture on the right is my #1 FAVORITE beauty secret.  Just take tape (any type) and apply it at an upward angle on the eye.  This eliminates quite a bit of clean up in the end (when using pigmented colors) and gives a perfect cat eye appearance.

The next color is the darkest and last color I used for this smokey eye-- Busted.  I thought it was better for my first tutorial to keep it simple and only use 3 basic colors.  Since we applied tape as a barrier, you can apply as much or as little of the dark color as you want.  I tend to go over board and put on multiple layers of this shade.  It's also important to really blend this color, failure to do so may give less than desirable results.  Once you have applied Busted to your liking, it's important to take a CLEAN brush and lightly blend the entire eye.  I usually take a light color (in this case Bootycall) and clean up the eye.  I apply it right below the brow, on the inner corners of the eyes, and on the edges near the winged shadow.

The last (but definitely not least) step is my personal favorite, the eyeliner.  I recently broke down and bought Mary Kay black gel eye liner for $18 after some serious debate.  This is one of the BEST investments you can make if you are  obsessive about your eye liner, like myself.  It takes quite a bit of practice to get the the perfect winged eye liner down.  And since I've been doing it almost every day for a few years now my friends tend to ask me for help.  All I can say about winged eye liner is practice, practice, practice.  And there you have it; a complete step by step look using the Naked 2 pallet or what I have decided to call 'The Smokey Eye for Dummies'!

Here is a quick look at the colors that I talked about within the blog.  Above is YDK and Busted.  Below is Bootycall and Tease.

I will brag and brag all day about these AMAZING bdellium tools 777 brushes ($16 on amazon).  I recommend them to anyone who wants to attempt a smokey eye.  Don't believe me?  Ask Heather! She bought them and admitted they are life changing.  Also the Mary Kay black gel liner may look small, but you only use a little bit at a time so this bad boy will last me about a year-- (and I use it DAILY).

05.08.2014

All white everything..... and yes, BEFORE Memorial Day.

It turns out my one free night this week (Wednesday night, that is) is the hottest day we have had yet this year.  And in this steaming hot apartment I managed to cook my child (Kelli) dinner (Italian sausage sandwiches), did Heathers make-up, and picked out her all-white outfit.  Yes, you can go ahead and pencil me in for the next season of The Real House Wives of Des Moines.  Anyway, I digress.  I've always gown up listening to the "written rules of fashion".  You know, the whole don't mix black and brown, no socks and sandals, and the really old one: no white between Labor Day and Memorial Day.  Well after years and years of watching What Not to Wear, I have decided I am 100% embracing the idea of all-white everything.

So following the trend of my last few posts, I'm going to show you how to wear a beautiful white skirt (BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY) for a fun night out or as casual daywear.  Basically I'm showing you how to get your money's worth for this elegant, yet versatile piece of clothing (you're welcome).  The first outfit is really pushing the 'white before Labor Day' limits.  I am going white on white for this one.  If you follow social media at all (or basically if you don't live under a rock) you have seen the white on white trend EVERYWHERE this spring.  Heather had this amazing all sequins white and gold skirt that I fell in love with the moment I saw it.  Here's the kicker, it was $8.  So this first, more "dressed up", look is what I decided to piece together to incorporate this beautiful sequins skirt.

After this pretty white on white look, I decided to toughen this skirt up a little bit.  I've always been a fan of graphic or band tees, so I thought that would be the perfect mix for this all white skirt.  Then, because I love accessorizing and I can't go a day with out a little bling, I thought adding a classic jeweled necklace would bring this outfit to life.  Yes, I HAD to post this picture of Heather with Boo.  For you who don't know my little baby Boo, she HATES every one except for Kelli and I.

I also decided I would break out a little makeup as well.  Last weekend I wanted to switch it up, so i decided to give Kelli's eyes a purple, smokey look.  I love, love, love purple shadow with green eyes; it makes them pop like you wouldn't believe!  So I kicked it up a notch and gave Heather extra dark, smokey, purple eyes.  I also used my AMAZING stippling foundation brush (see here) to give her a flawless, air brushed look.

04.30.2014.

Rainy day gray eyes and vodka vodka vodka.

So this weather is really starting to PISS me off.  How am I suppose to take pictures of my friends in minimal amounts of clothing when it's constantly raining?  Well today I had to go a different route since the weather isn't expected to change for the next few days.  Also my boyfriend keeps telling me to branch out from only talking about clothes (because he knows I can go on for days), so I decided to go out on all limb and focus this post on makeup.  Disclaimer: I DO NOT claim to be any sort of makeup pro, but I do enjoy it, and my friends "say" they like what I do (really I think they are all too lazy to do it themselves).  Plus, I have tried all the cheap, crappy makeup out there and have found some good brands that are reliable and affordable.

I mentioned a while back that I would also be talking about my favorite cocktails.  Well since we have been neglecting our vodka stash on top of the fridge, I thought it was time we get reacquainted. So after a LONG day of work, I texted Kel and let her know, "WE ARE DRINKING TONIGHT". She like always, agreed and we decided since it was just Easter and we have a ridiculous amount of leftover peeps, we would attempt to make the ever popular Pinterest peeps martini.  I really want to lie to you all and tell you it was the greatest thing I've ever had, but I'm not that good of a liar.  It was not good.  The recipe called for vodka, peeps, cream, and vanilla syrup.  We had the vodka and the peeps, but we had to wing it from there.  After adding a splash of milk and vanilla extract, we choked down a very STRONG but pretty peeps martini.

Okay, back to the makeup.  For my birthday this year, my best friend gave me the Urban Decay Naked 2 palate.  For those who like/know makeup, THAT IS AN AMAZING GIFT.  I was so excited/still am that I have been neglecting my other beautiful eye shadows for the last few months.  I've tried dark eyes on Kelli, but her being a red head and all, it just doesn't work all that well.  Luckily my friend Heather has the perfect eyes for dark makeup, so she let's me go a little over the top.  I typically gravitate towards browns, golds, and coppers but with Heathers eyes, I changed it up a little.  The naked pallet has beautiful silvers and blacks so I went all out with these for the look I'm featuring tonight.

I know this isn't a look that you can wear everyday to work, or school, or whatever you do during the day, but it's super easy to do.  Most likely you would want to do this for a date night, a weekend out on the town, or in Heather's case--a random Tuesday night after your friend begs you to model for her.  The naked 2 pallet is amazing, the colors are super pigmented and blend like you wouldn't believe.  Even though I'm ultra cheap and hate wasting money, this is definitely WORTH IT.  I also recently brought some amazing new make-up brushes off amazon for $16 (see here) that I'm obsessed with and definitely recommend for people trying to achieve a sultry, smokey eye look.

04.23.2014

Everyone loves a little leather.

So I've been wanting to post this outfit since the day I started dreaming of this  blog.  I love love love leather and everything about it (orrrrr...pleather if you are money-conscious like me).  Whether it's leather leggings (and yes, I can completely justify spending $60 on a pair), a leather jacket, leather detailing on a shirt, or the focus of my post- a very necessary leather skirt, I own it all.

Since I clearly cannot write a post without a little alcohol in my system, I invited my friend Brittany over tonight for a little wine, make-up, and a hair appt.  An hour (and a bottle of wine) later Brittany has dark sultry eyes and classic braid to wear out to casual drinks at Wellmans (which happens to be the topic of my next post) but anyway, back to the leather.  I decided the leather skirt deserved two looks since it's so beautiful, and the fact that I've received a few requests to showcase how to wear one item multiple ways after my last post made it a no-brainer (this is for you, Jess).

The other part of this look involves a few of my favorite things, SEQUINS & SPARKLES, and a casual v-neck.  My group of friends consists of the type of people that really enjoy getting overly dressed up to get drunk on the weekends (mostly ME), and others who are more comfortable drinking at home in their sweats. So I really feel like these looks will cover both ends of the spectrum.  A leather skirt is something that you can incorporate into soooo many different outfits.  If you've ever looked at the women's clothes section on pinterest, you've seen a leather skirt paired with a t-shirt, chambray shirt, sparkly shirt, blazer, etc.  So it was hard to pull ONLY two looks for this one skirt, when I had so many options.

For this extremely amateur photo shoot, I took a little time and pushed Kelli out of her comfort zone.  I did her hair a little bigger than normal and her make-up a little more wild than she is used to (well, wild by her standards).  It was pretty easy to get her hair up since she doesn't wash it that often, and as all my friends know, I am no stranger to a teasing comb.  Then of course I had to throw in a little winged eye liner since that is my go to on a night out, and quiet honestly a regular day at the office.

So the first look is one of my favorite combinations of all-time.  Leather & Sequins.  This is for a weekend out on the town, a special occasion, or if you are like my group of friends then this works for a typical Saturday night at The Exchange.  For the most part, we don't shy away from dressing up up and trying to pull off different looks like leather or sequins whenever we can.

The second look is for people who feel like sequins are something that should only come out of the closet on NYE (I think those people are a little nuts, but to each their own).  I thought I did pretty well at dressing this leather skirt down enough so it could be a casual dinner outfit or you could throw a blazer over it, and it would be great for the office.

Earrings in first look- Vintage- $0

Sequins Shirt- Mint LA- Clearance- $15.00

Leather Skirt- Forever 21- $8.80

Tan Pumps- Steve Madden- Clearance $36.00

Second Look Headband- Forever 21- $3.00

Gray V-Neck- Old Navy- $5.00

Black Flats- Target- $5.00

Total for two looks- $72.80

04.16.2014

One Outfit- Three Looks.

With a glass FULL of wine and strawberries on hand, I am ready to write my second post.  After spending a much needed night in with all my friends enjoying a little fondue, I have plenty to blog about, and lots of things to prepare for. 

We can start with one of my favorite things for this spring, a Maxi skirt.  A long skirt is key in spring, especially with the ridiculously unpredictable weather we have been having.  Yeah I'm looking at you, Mother Nature.  Last Saturday I was in a dress sweating my ass off, drinking Skittles margaritas on a patio for 5 hours and woke up Monday morning to snow.  So I figured a happy medium between scarves/boots/parkas and bootie shorts/camis/tiny bikinis that can hardly contain HB's nipples, is a Maxi skirt (or dress).

The next thing I love for spring is a diverse shirt, specifically denim or chambray.  Having shoulders like a NFL linebacker, I have always struggled buying denim or any shirt that doesn't stretch and requires buttoning.  If it isn't a size XL, there is no way in hell it is comfortably fitting around these man shoulders.  Luckily I have the pleasure of living with skinniest girl in town, so anything I put on her looks amazing.

As soon as Kelli got home from school today, I cornered her and told her she wasn't allowed to do anything except model an outfit for me.  Her, being the people pleaser that she is, agreed and let me dress, groom, and boss her around a little bit.  Then again, that's the daily routine when you are the best friend to a control freak like myself.  I digress, back to the modeling.  Since it was finally somewhat nice and sunny outside, we took Harper out to the front of our very modern, upscale apartment building (for those who don't know where we live, I'm being sarcastic) and shot my first OOTD.

The reason I mentioned a maxi skirt and a chambray shirt earlier is because this is the foundation of my OOTD.  I went a little above and beyond with this outfit and decided to see what all I could do with it.  I feel like my friends are always trying to dress for special occasions; whether that is a dinner date, a family event, a concert, or a typical Saturday night. So I decided I would give Kelli three looks from one outfit, so that she can wear it for a variety of occasions.

The first one I put her in is the 'formal version' of a chambray and maxi.  Working in a business casual work place, where people tend to push the boundaries of casual, (you should see what some of these people come in wearing) this is something I could definitely wear on a daily basis.  I paired it with a dressier necklace and felt tucking the shirt into the skirt gave it a cleaner feel.  And since I'm not really a fan of high heels with maxi skirts, I thought some cute ankle booties would help pull it together nicely.

The second version is the more "casual look." But let's be honest, in this house 'casual wear' is yoga pants or no pants.  The turquoise necklace helps dress this down, and simply untucking the shirt gives it a whole new feel.  You could take it a step farther and pair it with sandals or flats instead of booties-variety is the spice of life, right?  This look would be ideal for a lunch date, a weekend shopping trip, running errands (the kind you want to look cute for) and weekly (or daily) happy hours.

The last variation of this look pushes the limits of spring and dips a toe into summer.  Lucky for me Kelli is so tiny, any type of crop top looks good on her.  I have noticed that crop tops, and showing a little stomach, is sadly (for people like me without abs) coming back this spring/summer.  If you are afraid to go hardcore crop top (and rock the under-boob that comes with it), then this is for you as it is  something almost anyone can pull off. 

Where to get this OOTD:

Shirt- Buffalo Exchange (similar to Plato's)- $15

Skirt- Younkers (yellow dot)- $10

Booties- Younkers (yellow dot)- $22

Brown Braided Belt- Free with a shirt- $0
Formal look silver necklace- Borrowed from Jess- $0
Turquoise Camel Necklace- Younkers- $6
Gold and Black Chain Necklace- Forever 21- $13

Total For Three Different Looks- $66

04.13.2014

The First Post.

So here it goes, my first blog post about the people and things I love most in life. I've never claimed to be the best writer, my English and spelling skills are average at best, so cut me a little slack when reading this (especially you, Tyler).  I've always loved fashion and beauty blogs especially those written by regular people just like me.  But what really inspired me to start (at least attempt) my own blog was my best friends and the lovely ladies I work with everyday.

First, let me set the scene.  I have a biology degree and last year I got a job as a client service rep at a chemistry lab. So as you can imagine, fashion isn't top priority for most of my coworkers.  It seems like every few days as I come into work (at 7:59 on the dot) I get stopped by multiple people who will compliment my outfit, ask where something is from, or just give their opinions on how I look.  I've always really appreciated the compliments on my clothes because, to many people's surprise, I always make an effort to look nice or put an outfit together (unless its a Monday morning of course).  The dress code at work is business casual, which poses all sorts of challenges to a girl who heavily relies on leggings and oversize shirts 90% of the time from October to April.

My next inspiration came from my large group of close friends.  I have the pleasure of living with my best friend in the ENTIRE world who basically lets me treat her like a real life Barbie doll.  I also live across the hall from two more of my really close friends.  Let's call them Jeather and Hess for the sake of anonymity, ok?  Good.  If you can put that in perspective that's four separate closets to shop in on a daily basis.  It really doesn't get much better than that.  The best part about my group of friends is that they actually listen to what I have to say about what to wear.  Well uh, usually....they usually listen to what I have to say about what to wear.  It works out well because I have such a wide range of body types to help dress.  This is both challenging and extremely fun.

My last piece of inspiration came this past Saturday.  My dog was LONG overdue for a hair cut (see here), so after dropping her off I headed to the mall to kill some time.  I was in Younker's (who recently increased their black dot discount from 70% to 80% which about brought tears to my eyes)  minding my own business when three employees from the fragrance department stopped me to talk about what I was wearing.  I was really confused because the outfit I had on (see here & here) was merely thrown on in attempt to not be late for Harper's hair appt.  They rattled off questions about where I got my shirt and how I did my hair; also mentioning that my gold earrings went perfectly with the gold on my camel necklace and all the while repeating how "cute" I looked. After I escaped the perfume people, I made it to the clearance rack (i.e. my happy place) with a little pep in my step and a budding idea for a new blog.

So that is a little introduction as to why a Biology major from small-town Iowa would be interested in writing about what she wears, drinks, and the, some may say, questionable make-up/ hair skills that she possesses. Oh, and I also made sure my friends were fully aware that they will be the stars of this blog since I haven't really perfected the mirror selfie- but I'm working on it!

A Thank you to Ms. Kelli Paris for modeling my Saturday Mall/Groomer adventure outfit.
Head band- Forever 21- $2
Shirt- TJ Maxx- $10 (clearance)
Skirt- Forever 21- $10.80
Shoes- Target- 2 for $20
Necklace- Younkers- Black dot sale $6
Purse- DSW- on sale for $15
Earrings- Charlotte Russe- pack of 3 for $5