Minnie Part II

A certain poodle seems to have found inspiration from this post.

She is a minnie-ature after all.

I'm on a boat!

My mother is not a woman to be outdone. On May 17th she turned 60 in style in Rome, Italy with my dad and me; but this wasn't enough. So, yesterday she invited 48 of her closest family members and friends to wine and dine on the USS Sequoia Presidential Yacht. What does one wear on a boat of this magnitude? See for yourself:

From left to right: Alyssa, me, Connie, Charlotte, and Caitlyn

We all wanted to steer the boat:

Everyone was very patriotic

The sunset was beautiful

And so was the woman of the hour

Not a bad-looking couple for two senior citizens:

Outfit details:

dress and earrings- Lord and Taylor

shoes- Target

necklace- shop in Colonial Williamsburg

My backyard is awesome except that one time when it gave me scabies

I want to say that pink gingham is in this summer. What do you guys think?

top- J. Crew clearance

skirt- American Apparel

shoes- Baker's

earrings- Claire's

bracelet- Brighton

Nympheas

This dress reminds me of that one huge Monet painting in Paris at the Orangerie Museum. You know, the one with the water lillies?

With the long-lost Tasia Marie!

How did I style this dress last summer? If you want to know, check here and here.

Dress- Nordstrom

leggings- American Apparel

wedges- Old Navy

watch- Brighton

belt- came with a dress I got in Paris

In which I prove that I have forgotten how to pose for pictures

I wore this out to dinner for my cousin Alyssa's 23rd birthday. Tip to anyone looking for a light meal at Bertucci's-- the Insalata salad is basically some wilted iceberg lettuce and like two cucumbers. You're better off just filling up on the rolls.

Also, can you believe this long top was a dress when I first bought it?

In Rome

I wish the washing machine didn't shrink all my clothes.

First outfit:

top- Zara

jeans-Gap

shoes- Banana Republic Outlet

necklace- marketplace in Chile

earrings- Camden Market in London

Second outfit:

Dress- Zara

jacket and shoes- Etam

bag- NY&Co

How to save money at the mall

Don't be a shopaholic like Rebecca Bloomwood!

With the gigantic, fantastic Tysons Corner Mall a stone's throw from my house, you can bet that I spend a lot of my free time perusing the racks at the many clothing stores at my fingertips. This is both a blessing (for my closet) and a curse (for my bank account). What's a recessionista to do? I like to follow these rules:

1. Pay with cash

I don't buy the whole "pay with cash because it's harder to let go of" theory that I've read about in countless magazines, but I do know a few reasons why paying in cash is the best way to shop. It goes something like this: debit card overdraft fees, credit card interest rates, slowly acquiring debt without realizing it. Plus, it's easier to set a budget-- if you have $25 cash money in your wallet, you can only spend $25. Pay with cash and save money.

2. Ask yourself if you really need this particular piece

This one seems really obvious but it's surprisingly effective. Do you really need one more LBD? Another cardigan? A furry vest? If you do, then go ahead. If you don't really really need it, put it down and move on.

3. Don't buy stuff that looks bad

Ok, so I know you do that thing in the fitting room where you try on an outfit and pose in all types of unnatural, ridiculous model poses to make it look good when you look in the mirror. I do it too. Stop doing this. To get a realistic perspective on how the outfit looks, stand about 6-7 feet away from a full length mirror, close your eyes, and stand in a way that feels natural. No skinny arm, no hip cocked to the side, and no sucked in stomach. Now open your eyes. Does it look good? If it does, consider buying it. If it doesn't don't waste your time or money on it.

4. When in doubt, walk away

I can spend a record-breaking amount of time going back and forth about a piece I'm not completely convinced I can't live without. This is the conversation I have with myself every time this happens:

It's a really cute dress

But it's kind of short

It looks really good

Yeah but it's uncomfortable

My boobs look awesome

But they're about to fall out

It's only $29.99

I can find something better

This one's good enough!

Et cetera et cetera et cetera until I'm completely disoriented and I've been hogging the stall for 20 minutes and the other customers are all getting really antsy.

Here's the truth, though: if you absolutely love something, you'll know right away. If your feelings are up in the air, take the piece off, declare out loud "I don't need this" and move on to the next item. That being said, if you're still thinking about it a few days later, it's ok to go back for it.

Well, that's all I've got for now. If y'all have any more tips I'd love to hear them!

Good to be Home

I've been back in the US for a week and a half already and I still haven't finished unpacking. Figures, right? Anyways, now that I'm back and (almost) settled I really have no excuse to be lazy and skip my daily posts anymore; so, here's a simple little something I put together for a day of errands:

top and skirt- American Apparel

shoes- Banana Republic outlet

headband- F21

sunglasses- H&M