Back to the Grind

After the holidays, returning to work seems like such a downer.  So, I thought I would incorporate some bright colors into the mix.

The top look features a sweater from Target, a leopard print scarf from some teenie-bopper store in the mall that I have never heard of, but hey, they had a leopard scarf like I was looking for.  The pants are some 5 or 6-year-old Ralph Lauren slacks.  Shoes from Forever 21 (they are my "nothing shoes"), and, as always, my beloved Coach. (I will tell you all about my shoe and purse philosophies soon.) I was very much inspired by this look on Pinterest: here

The bottom look is a little Diane Keaton inspired. 

Oh, Diane!

Jacket is Old Navy, cardigan is H&M, the pants are Tahari. The knit shirt is from a site I recently discovered called Shade, and a great deal at less than $10. *beloved Coach* Also, I have to give a shout-out to these shoes.  They are Steve Madden and I bought them at Nordstrom Rack for $6.  Sometimes you just have to buy things when you come across them on sale.

In fact, that is often one of my golden rules: If I go to a store, Target let's say, I ONLY purchase from the clearance rack.  Obviously, the prices are cheaper there, but the idea is to buy something that you really won't be likely to find for cheaper.  You often hear "if you wouldn't buy it at full price, then you shouldn't have it in your closet".  I call bull!  I almost exclusively buy things on sale.  Think about it this way; I already have more clothes than I need.  I crave new style.  So, why buy that sweater for $24.99, when eventually you might find it for $9.98?  So, only shop the clearance rack and you will find things you like and never pay full price.  I do want to point out that this strategy only truly works if you already have a well-stocked closet full of basics.  It also pays to go to the same stores at different points in the season so that you can eyeball things at full-price and then, later on, if they go on sale and you are comfortable with the deal you're getting-go for it!

I did end up making a style purchase today.  I went to Walgreens to buy some allergy pills and saw that they had some new stock of my favorite tinted lip balm.  (Okay, full disclosure, I was really hoping they had this lip balm because I had seen ads that there were new limited edition colors) So, I bought 3!  Crazy? Not exactly.  I already have a couple of colors from the Maybelline Baby Lips collection and know I like them a lot.  I have never seen these new editions anywhere yet!  I purchased "twinkle", "yummy plummy", and "coral crush".  If you are looking for a lip balm that lasts, has SPF, a nice hint of color, and a less than $5 price tag, I highly recommend. Oh yeah, they were also on sale. Total purchase price: $13.50