Bargain Chic

Decorating for Less: Part One

January 31, 2010

The new year always makes me think about all the things that I would like to accomplish during the year. This year in particular, I've been thinking about all the home improvement projects I'd like to do. So over the next few weeks and months, I'll be writing about some of my decorating ideas, and how to accomplish them for less.

First up: my bedroom. Over the last year, I had been mulling over the idea of getting a new bed. The one I currently have is decent, although maybe a little dated, but it doesn't really go with the look I'm trying for in my bedroom. I've got the whole shabby chic decor going on, and I've been wanting to get either a white iron bed frame or step it up a notch and a get an upholstered headboard. The iron beds are fairly inexpensive, whereas the upholstered ones can be quite pricey. I did a little Web surfing, and found a few affordable options that I could certainly be happy with.

Inspiration Piece

Hoffman Bed, Room & Board, $1299

Bargain Beds
Iron Beds

Leirvik, IKEA, $99; Savannah Bed, Pottery Barn, $599

Upholstered Beds

Vanvik, IKEA, $399; Jensen Headboard, Ethan Allen, $649

My Un-Bargain-Like Bargain

January 30, 2010

Last weekend I went on a girls getaway to Vegas. It was a much needed mini-vacation from every day worries and stresses, and I had a blast. And what made it even more outstanding was a quick (I use that term loosely) stop at one of the best outlet malls I've ever been to. Just down the strip was a place I shall call the Holy Grail of bargains: Las Vegas Premium Outlets. It had oodles of stores I love, and one in particular that I was dying to visit -- Coach Outlet. Being the fashion bargainista that I am, I had peeked inside another outlet store about six months earlier but felt the prices were still too high for me, so I left empty handed. But this time, I was determined to find a pursue at a great deal, and by golly, I think I did! (I shall not reveal the exact price, but just know that it still fit the bill for what I deem a "bargain.")

Come-Hither Wear

January 9, 2010

Being a single gal, who hasn't been on a date in a while and who, by some standards, is a tad conservative when it comes to those so-called "date rules," I don't really have a stockpile of lingerie in my underwear drawer. In fact, my bras are mostly nude-colored, with the exception of a few black bras I wear very rarely. This affliction towards boring underthings may be due to my small, um, stature. For some reason, lingerie stores just don't carry my diminutive size -- do they think I don't want to look sexy? Because of my small size, I need help looking sexy -- or I might get mistaken for an adolescent boy!

So, the point of my rather revealing op-ed on being a small-chested and self-proclaimed "conservative" dater, is that I don't have to worry about having a drawer overflowing with lingerie. Instead, these come-hither wears are coming out from under the covers and revealing themselves in fashionable looks you can wear outside the bedroom. Forget about that third date rule -- you can seduce your date with a lingerie-inspired outfit on the first, second or even fifth date.

And I guarantee, this look will WOW him enough to keep asking you out until you want to break the rules and bring the lingerie back to the bedroom!

Designer Look

Dior, Spring/Summer 2010 Ready-to-Wear

Bargain Looks

Risque Lace Trimmed Woven Top, Forever21, $19.80; Silk Bustier Top, bebe, $59

The Cindy Dress, Mod Cloth, $67.99; H&M Dress, $39.95

A Decade of Trends

January 1, 2010

It is a new year. And if you can believe it, a new decade! It seems like this past decade was filled with so much.... stuff! From 9-11 to the war in Iraq to the boom of social media to the election of the first black American president. It is hard to believe those things and so much more happened in just ten years!

And then you have the fashions of the 00's -- every decade has their claim to fame, and all I can think of for this past decade is leggings. They seem to have taken root mid-decade and never left. But, oh, how I hope their ridiculousness ends soon. Yes, they're comfortable, but only about 1% of the population can really pull them off. Otherwise, they just look silly -- kind of like stirrup pants.

The other trend of the '00s has to be the HUGE bags. You know what I'm talking about ladies -- the kind that could quite possibly hold a toddler in it. I never quite understood why a leggy, pin-thin lady needed a purse she could literally folder herself into. Status symbol? Or, a quick escape? Whatever the reason, unless you need to carry your entire life's necessities around with you all day long, let go of the over-sized handbags... PLEASE!

And, finally, the two trends that will probably be staying around a bit longer -- the skinny jeans and the ankle boots. Okay, I'll admit, I own a pair of both. Not a true pair of skinny jeans, but as close as I will get. Yeah, they can be sexy and cute on some women, but for most, they just don't work. Same with those silly ankle boots. Unless you have legs up to your nose and they're shaped like twigs, ankle boots do absolutely nothing for most women's legs.

We've all be victims to at least one of these trends this decade, and that's fine -- it's fun to experiment with fashion and doing so is really the only way one can find their true style. I think I've finally found my fashion style -- classic pieces with a twist of whimsy and funk. And I hope to play on more of that whimsy and funk this year; to take some risks and think outside the box. And that may mean I'll try some of those trends that won't work, and some that I can add to my collection. But either way, it will be exciting to see what's in store for this new decade.

And to neatly wrap-up this past year's fashions, I've put together a collage of some of the great deals I found in 2009. Enjoy and Happy New Year to all!

Happy Valentine's Day
(posted February 13)