Coming up...

Hey all! I'm on vacation at the beach for the next few days but when I return, I have to share with you pictures of:

• the pretty bunting I did for my sister's birthday.
• a red jacket I bought at Forever 21 (marked down from $20 to $11).
• a honest-t0-god maxi dress that I just had to buy because it actually looked that good (and it was only 7 bucks!)
• awesome cheap sunglasses that I got for 3 bucks from the flea market.
• and maybe some lovely pictures from my beach vacation, if you're into that sort of thing (i.e. uncontrollable jealousy). Of course, I'll make sure most of them are fashion-related. I mean, I am on vacation, but I never stop obsessing over fashion and clothes. So there'll definitely be some "What I Wore" posts coming up--most of them featuring me on a cute red bike with a basket.

Get excited! Just not too excited, since you're gonna have to wait a few days.

Last One, I Swear

Okay, just one more vintage shop on Etsy. I hope you're not sick of this (I don't know how one could be--I'm obviously not), cause you need to check out the shoe section of Dear Golden Vintage. Here's some of my favorites.

Sandals (which I'm still in desperate need of):

$24

$29

I've decided I really want some black boots for this winter, far-away as it is now.

$48

I love these cheery red flats:

$27--and the price is my lucky number! Which is actually sort of annoying, since my lucky number isn't very cheap.

And, for some reason, the shop has a ton of espadrilles. I'm not crazy about them--I pretty much just like them as a friend, or maybe just as a casual acquaintance--but I've been seeing them everywhere this summer. So if they're your kind of shoe, here you go.

$42

$38

$34

$52

Oh, and the shop also has super pretty dresses, like these:

$185

$68

$42

$56

$185--a pricey but totally awesome red dress.

also $185
Wouldn't this one be a really fun prom dress? Aw, now I want to do a prom dress post.

A lot of those dresses also reminded me of Mad Men, which I've been watching a lot with the boyfriend lately. We just got into it (late, I know) and I can't wait to start the second season. Sure, the plot twists and characters--mmm, Don Draper--are pretty great, but the fashion is awesome. Lately I've been wanting to dress like Betty Draper, lipstick and all.

Maybe I'll do a prom dress post and a Mad Men post. Fun!

My New Greatest Friend

For some great affordable vintage finds, I think you guys should check out Greatest Friend on Etsy. I read about it in an old post over on unruly things (which you should also check out--awesome blog), and I really like:

These bags:

$55

$19
(I LOVE this bag. I'm a fan of grey.)

$22
(This would satisfy my longing for a simple, versatile clutch.)

$8--on sale!

These coats (yes, I know it is way too early and hot to be thinking about winter coats, but still):

$89

$88

$65
(I've really wanted a dark leather jacket lately--this would be perfect.)

$48

$45

And this awesome blazer:

$16

Since I'm only a poor college student, I expect all of you to go buy this stuff for my birthday. Like, right now. Aaaand, go.

The Red Dress

Remember a few posts ago I was talking about wanting a red dress for the summer? Well, I found one at Target for about twenty bucks, but they only had it in XL and XXL. I checked out their website, and they have it. Here's what it looks like (and here's the link):


I showed it to my boyfriend, and he said that it's definitely my style, and I agree. It's simple, flowy, and very red. It looks like it'd be nice and cool for summer days, and would go great with heels or flats. I don't want to order it online, though, because I hate paying for shipping and I want to try it on before buying it. So I think I'll call the store and have them stock it for me in my size. Our quest for the red dress is nearing the end, my friends!

Yeah, I'm excited.

DIY Fashion

A lot of times I see something that I really want, but then think to myself: Why spend money on that when I can probably make it myself? This happened a few times a couple weeks ago, and so finally I just went nuts and had a big arts-and-crafts day. Here's the things I saw and then my own handmade version.

A necklace that looked like it was made out of nuts or bolts or whatever they're called:
So I went to my dad's workshop and took some of his... thingies (he has millions) and strung them on a chain.

I also made a bracelet in a similar style:
Next, a black clutch:
I covered an old, ugly purse with some black material (using super glue), cut off the strap, and added some zipper trimming:
Lastly, I saw this shirt online somewhere (not sure where) and saved it. I figured the necklace and purse I made were unique enough so that I wasn't copying someone else's creation, and normally I wouldn't steal someone else's design; but my sister saw this and was all "I WANT THAT. I NEED THAT. I MUST HAVE IT."
So I made it for her with a spare T-shirt and a sharpie.
So there you go. Making things yourself can really lighten the burden on your wallet, not to mention giving you an inornidinate amount of pride. Would you try this yourself, if you're an artsy type? Also, the next thing I'm going to try and make is a vague shadow of these ModCloth shoes:
I'm just going to recreate the wedge part, not the white design all over the shoe. I think that would be a bit much. But basically I saw a DIY tutorial a while ago about putting thumbtacks in wedges, and have wanted to try that ever since. I just have to find the right pair of black wedge booties. I'll keep you updated!

Ugly Find of the Week

I haven't done this feature in a while, and the other day I was in the mall and saw these babies:


Wow. Check out that reflecive heel, and those colors! Not to mention the tasteful bling:

Are they ugly and over-done? Sorta. Would I wear them? You can bet your life I would.

What I Wore: Theme Park Edition!

Tomorrow my family and I are going to Hershey park for the day, and I thought I'd share the outfit that I have planned. Check it out!

Here's the whole thing. You might notice that I have not one but three shirts. That's because I simply can't decide, haha. I promise I'll have it narrowed down to one by the time we leave.


First off, my blue and white bikini from Target that I've been dying to wear (since there'll be water rides):

My trusty cuffed shorts that I made myself from an old pair of jeans, and my oxford flats from Target. I don't have flip flops or sandals for the summer yet so these would be the easiest to slip on and off, or I could keep them on for rides and trust them not to go flying off and hit some poor bystander in the head:

And for accessories, a smaller purse (thrifted) and sunglasses (no idea where I got them)--and of course, sunscreen. Lots and lots of sunscreen.

And there you have it. The only thing I'm not sure about is the shoes. I might feel a bit silly wearing oxfords while everyone else is walking around in flip flops. Hm, I might have to pick a more fun pair of flats, maybe. I'll try and get a picture of the final look tomorrow.

My Summer Wardrobe

Yesterday I spent an ungodly amount of time in Target (as usual) and came out with three new T-shirts and--finally!--a pair of skinny jeans. Real skinny jeans, that is; not jeans in some kind of ridiculous color like red... Cause I already have those.*
The skinnies are a classic dark wash and not so tight that I feel like I need scissors to cut myself out of them at the end of the day. The T-shirts are in neutral colors (grey, black, and grey/white striped) so they'll go with a lot, and they're soooo comfy. I think I'll get a lot of use out of everything I just got, and that had me thinking: What's my basic summer wardrobe starting to look like so far? Well, take a peek:

First off, some cute skirts:

Two of these skirts used to be dresses! The light blue was originally a dress from ModCloth, but I didn't like the way the top fit so I hacked it off. I also cut the top off the floral one, which I guess you could call vintage (I found it in my little sister's closet) because it didn't fit. The short black one and the dark blue one (it has pockets!) were both thrifted.

Next is a summer staple: shorts.

Two of them were formerly jeans; I turned them into cut-offs this spring, and cuffed the dark-wash ones (I think they came out the best). The green pair were thrifted and are pretty high-waisted, so my boyfriend makes fun of me for that; but if you like a look, who cares what boyfriends think, right? I know mine isn't exactly a fashion expert, anyway.

I also have blazers for chillier days, or when I want to look a little bit more spruced-up:

Both thrifted. The one on the right is corduroy, I think, and the one on the left has pink or light red stripes:

I love little details like that.

My most-worn shoes will probably be these brown Oxford flats and strappy Vera Wang heels (still no sandals yet, I'm sorry to say):

Flats from Target (online) and heels from Kohl's (also online).

And some colorful, fun shoes will also probably make a lot of appearances:

Blue wedges from Kohl's, yellow flats from Target, blue flats from I-have-no-idea-where-and-they're-so-old-they-have-holes-that-my-toes-peek-out-of, pink heels from T.J. Maxx.

My handy trench coat (probably more spring or fall than summer, but it's been chilly a lot lately):

From H&M ages ago.

Two of my shortest, prettiest dresses:

The lace one is vintage that I hemmed from calf-length to above the knee, and the floral one is from Target.

My two main nail colors this summer are probably going to be red and silver:

Not sure where the red is from but I just got the silver from Target.

Some fun, red skinnies:

From Target months ago on clearance.

And more sensible skinny jeans that I'll probably wear a lot on the cooler days:

Just got them from Target for $12.

And here's my favorite comfy, basic tees--most in neutral colors.

The grey one ($8), one of the black ones ($5), and the grey-striped one ($13, the most expensive but sooo worth it) are the ones I just got from Target. The others I've had for a while so I'm not sure where they're from.

Also they're almost all v-necks, with a few scoop necks. I hate T-shirts that basically just circle the base of your throat, like sports T-shirts. They look awful on me. I need to show some neck and collarbone!

So there you have it. I'll also probably be lugging my big brown bag from Kohl's around most of the time--and wearing lots of sunscreen, of course. Now tell me: What's your wardrobe like this summer? Is it mostly basics that you depend on regularly throughout most of the seasons, or are you springing for a whole new look? I like mine because I feel like most of it will serve me well all the way through fall, as well.

*See previous post for more info on the red skinnies!