Bloggers Who Budget: Blush for Less

I purchased this J.Crew Factory skirt a few months ago & really liked how I styled it for the blog back in February (post here), but then I saw a Kate Spade shop girl wearing a similar pleated skirt with flat motorcycle boots & she just looked so gosh darn COOL that I knew I had to recreate what she had going on! This is my best attempt - while I usually trend more preppy in my style, I like this extra bit of edge added to the sweet pink skirt!

Looking for an extra does of blush in your life (one half of the dynamic duo that Pantone named as the colors of the year), be sure to check out my fellow Bloggers Who Budget to see how they are styling their budget friendly blush pieces this month!

Pearls & Twirls | Let It Be Beautiful | Here&Now | Living in Color Style | Stylin in St. Louis

skirt: J.Crew Factory pleated blush skirt (no longer available in the blush color, but I found this near identical style for only $49 & linked several similar skirts below)

tank: J.Crew Factory layering tank

jacket: H&M faux leather jacket (several years old, but they have a similar style available now)

shoes: Rockport Chelsea boots {now under $100} (similar + budget friendly options here & here)

necklace: Sheer Addiction jewelry 

All Photos | Catherine Truman Photography

I have a yellow pleated midi skirt that is similar to this skirt, & I have found myself re-creating some of the outfits I originally styled with the yellow skirt including this look & these outfits too! When you find what works… buy it in every color…? That is a saying, right?!

What pieces have you been wearing & re-wearing already this Spring?

Get the look - shop blush midi skirts:

pep

shirt: Nordstrom striped peplum top (currently sold out, similar styles below). Additionally, this top is from the brand Chaser & I am super impressed with the quality of their items & how soft each tee is. How cute is this lip print tank!?

jeans: Citizens of Humanity flare leg jeans

shoes: Sole Society leopard pumps (one of the best leopard prints I have seen on a shoe yet!)

necklace: LOVE necklace c/o Sheer Addiction Jewelry

purse: "Carly" convertible purse c/o Gigi New York (told you I would be wearing this purse a ton! See how I wore it as a clutch in Monday's post)

All Photos | Catherine Truman Photography 

Here is the problem with my budget shopping ways: I usually purchase things when they go on super sale, & then by the time I receive the item, photograph it, & write up a post for this here blog, the specific items are typically gone! Which is sadly the case for this adorable striped peplum tee (original link here in case they restock it - fingers crossed!).

But what I love about this top is the shape, so I have found several similar tops with peplum details for you. The peplum style this year is slightly less structured than the manifestations we have seen in previous years (some brands are even calling it a "flounce" instead of a true peplum), so pair it with more fitted bottoms or skirts for a super polished look!

Ladies - don't throw out your skinny jeans, but jean styles for Spring/Summer are popping up with more and more bootcut/flare leg options! I have had this pair of flare jeans since college (see all the ways I've worn them on the blog here) & I love how they look with a pointy heel!

If you have abandoned your wider leg options since their last round of popularity, I am linking my favorite premium styles below. These are all from denim brands I have worn & loved like Hart Denim & BLANK - with a couple of them under $100! And this style I found at Old Navy looks extremely similar to the style I am wearing today & they are only $30 (with most sizes in stock).

So what goes around really does come back around - if the resurgence of the 90s clothing I wore as a kid weren't enough of a reminder - it now time to embrace the peplum & flare leg styles once again!

What old-is-new again trends are you planning to rock for Spring?

bold print

cardigan: J.Crew Factory "Clare" cardigan

tank: J.Crew Factory racerback tank

skirt: ℅ Chicwish

necklace: ℅ Sheer Addiction Jewelry 

sunglasses: Carrera ℅ Sunglasses Shop 

(enter to win a giveaway for your own designer pair from Sunglasses Shop using the widget below)

purse: Coach ℅ Dillard's Green Hills

shoes: ShoeMint (old - shop similar below)

All Photos | Kate Davis Photo

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Oh teacher struggles! Picking out my outfit for the day at 5:30 am, before the coffee has kicked in, has definitely trained me on having a specific formula for getting dressed in the morning.

Cardigans + boldly patterned bottoms are my foundation pieces, & of those, this particular sweater & skirt are two of my favorites. I recently learned that this shade of cardigan is the one most associated with me, with one fellow teacher even searching out for a similar shade of fuchsia as she was amazed by how versatile it truly was! Oh & this skirt - bold black & white, perfect length, & did I mention that it has pockets!?

The perfect antidote when my formulaic dressing starts to get boring? A punchy statement necklace. Even better if it is a special piece from Sheer Addiction Jewelry!

 

Shop some of my teacher staples below:

do you LOVE it

hat: J.Crew Factory felt hat

necklace: "LOVE" necklace ℅ Sheer Addiction Jewelry

dress: H&M (super old) - shop similar below

booties: Old Navy (super old) - shop similar below

clutch: part of my latest Le Tote subscription box. Sign up for this amazing service using my referral code & get $25 off your first month (I also get $15 credit)

Or just shop the clutch here or here. 

All Photos | Kate Davis Photography

Why do people love Fall the most? My opinion, it is the most fun season to dress for! The layers, the boots, the endless combinations of plaid! I have been slowly adding to my Fall accessory game & am so excited to have adopted this necklace from Sheer Addiction into the mix. It is one necklace made from multiple chains, & the letters perfectly stack to spell out LOVE.

Sheer Addiction is my source for unique, timeless, hand-down-to-your-daughters jewelry! See how I have worn some of their beautiful pieces in the past & be on the lookout for more fun outfits featuring new jewels coming your way. 

Don't put your Summer dresses away yet! With a felt hat, dark booties & Fall-ish accessories, your Summery frocks look perfectly boho! The Old Navy swing dress that I was obsessed with this Summer? Yea, they made it in a long sleeve version for Fall - I think they know me!

Looking for the perfect Fall hat, booties & accessories? Shop the totally affordable options I am loving now! These Chelsea style pull on booties from Old Navy are only $40 & I just got these Sole Society leopard pumps & they are everyday perfection - can't wait to pair them with flannel!

un-teal Spring

{ What I Wore: {faux} leather jacket ℅ Choies (similar 1, 2) // Le Tote* dress // Nine West pumps // chain necklace ℅ Sheer Addiction Jewelry // crystal necklace ℅ Yuni Kelley // sunglasses ℅ Silvano Apparel }
*I received a Le Tote subscription for free, but genuinely love their service!

all photos | Zipporah Photography 

I'm calling it - the tights are getting packed away. I don't care that it snowed on Monday. My abdomen is ENTIRELY, completely over having a permanent line down it from tights cutting into me all day.

I shall run from the car to wherever I am going… it is March, & that groundhog can suck it.

primarily speaking

{ What I Wore: J.Crew Blythe blouse // Kate Spade gold belt (LOVE this one) // skirt ℅ Oasap (similar) // Nine West leopard heels (love these the most, but see below for the rest of my top leopard heel picks!) // earrings ℅ SheerAddiction Jewelry }

all photos | Zipporah Photography 

I just can't get enough of this skirt & in fact, this here is a prelude to the next "Bloggers Who Budget" post. I hope you gals adore a wardrobe item that really goes the extra mile, on a regular person budget, as much as I do. It's officially my jam.

This time around, my friend Shelby encouraged me to pair said adored skirt with another primary color & to do this shirt poof over the belt trick. Seriously, isn't getting dressed more fun with friends!?

Looking to rejuvenate your wardrobe? Don't forget to enter to win 1 of 2 Le Tote subscriptions up for grabs!

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interview attire

{ What I Wore: J.Crew blazer & silk tank // J.Crew Factory skirt // necklace ℅ SheerAddiction Jewelry // Nisolo tote // ancient boots & belt}
Photos | Zipporah Photography 

Well y'all, I'm back on the job market… to be honest I haven't actually ever been on the job market… but that's neither here nor there… yea, I didn't believe it when I said it either. I'm freaking out! I start my teaching program at the end of May; however, between now & then… still working on figuring that out!

I wore this to an "informal interview" at a school, right before the Christmas break.

Hair pinned back so I wouldn't fidget with it. A bit of business (blazer) + a bit of personality (striped skirt). 

And now I'm out of interview attire tips… so let me hear yours!

**Update - I think I gave you the wrong idea by saying that this was for an "informal interview"… it was more a tour of the school & meet-&-greet with some of the teachers. A pre-pre-pre-interview if you will. I hope to talk more about "traditional" interview attire in the coming weeks. But I also invite you to break the mold of the traditional man-suit when you go to your next professional event. I would hope that we can all be just a little more creative than that.

P.S. Don't forget to enter to win the Le Tote Giveaway (2 winners!) {here}.

lace it up + a giveaway

{ What I Wore: top c/o LookBookStore // necklace c/o SheerAdiction Jewelry // Celebrity Pink Jeans* // ShoeDazzle pumps // Rebecca Minkoff purse }
* gifted by the Southern Blog Society

Let this post serve as my full endorsement for white after Labor Day... you all saw it coming didn't you!

Buck those old fashioned "rules" & embrace the white!

And because who wouldn't want $500 cold hard cash for a little Fall Shopping, I give you a super duper blogger giveaway! Meet a few fresh faces & you might just win a lump of dough!

Simply Just Lovely  / /  Cella Jane  / /  Simply Lulu Style  / /  Style with Shannon

The Freckled Fox  / /  McKenna Bleu  / /  Hello Fab  / /  A Spoonful of Style

My Chic Bump  / /  Glossy Blonde  / /  Everyday Fashion and Finance  / /  Currently Coveting

Ash 'n' Fashn  / /  My Wardrobe Staples  / /  Stylin in St. Louis  / /  Sisters in the City  

Love Me, Dani Marie  / /  Citrus Refreshing Fashion  / /  Here & Now  / /  Book of Leisure

The Brandied Pair  / /  A Lifetime of Rain  / /  Helene in Between  / /  2 Girls in 2 Cities

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Giveaway ends Friday September 27th at 12am

Open to US & Canadian readers only this time