8 Under $20: Newport News

eight under twenty intro

For a long time, I thought Newport News was a total “mom store” with terribly outdated and, well, momish stuff.  Then, a few months ago  I noticed some of their stuff in mags like Lucky, InStyle and Glamour and realized that they actually had some super cuteness going on.

Since then I’ve bought several items from them and they’re not only stylish and well-made, they’re great for a gal on a budget. Which is me. And you.

I combed the entire website and found so many adorable things, many for under $20, but here are my top 8, MySpace style: Read More »

Your Flip Flops Will Kill You

havianas-flip-flops-sandals

Don't trust 'em. These things are dangerous.

They come in all different colors, styles, and sizes. They’re a part of our daily uniform during the summertime (Editor’s Note: And if you’re me, they stay in rotation until the snow begins to fall); we wear them to the beach, to work, or when we’re just hangin’ out in the house. Some people may hate on flip flops, but they are truly god’s gift to mankind (after Channing Tatum and Coldstone Creamery, of course).

A gift that can kill us all, according to a new study by TODAY.
Seriously, after reading this you might wanna think twice before flippy flopping around town.

After testing some footwear, health scientists discovered that there were more than – are you ready for this – 18,000 bacteria on just one pair of flip-flops. Did you just look at your feet in disgust? Yeah, me too. But what is even more disturbing than the number of bacteria on your favorite footwear is the type of bacteria that consumes them. We’re talkin’ bacteria from fecal matter (that’s poo, ladies!), skin and respiratory germs, even bacteria that causes yeast infections and diaper rash. Oh, and the scariest? The potentially lethal germ, Staphylocaccus aurerus (AKA staph infection). Read More »

Candy Dish: Forest Photobomb!

photobomb squirrel

Is this not the cutest photobomber you’ve ever seen?

Mariah Carey delays her album…again.

You may never wanna wear flip flops again.

Who’s next for Dancing With The Stars?

Rapper begs Kanye to come out of the closet.

Ed Hardy….hand sanitizer? COME ON!

Shopping Your Closet: Hoodies

hoodie 1 hoodie 2

While hoodies don’t exactly have a rep for being fashionable, every girl has a few in her closet. They are pretty much THE staple in every college wardrobe since they are comfy, warm, and easily slip on over whatever you wore to bed last night. Even hardcore fashionistas have lazy days!

Since you most definitely have one (or 6) zip-ups in your closet, I’ll give you a few different ways to wear them so you look more casual cute and less “Holy sh*t I just woke up in my boyfriend’s room and I’m 20 minutes late for class so I’ll just borrow his clothes and run out of the door.”

Contrary to popular belief, that is not cute. Read More »

8 Under $20: Macy’s

20Dollars.preview

So I know you’re thinking: “How can you get anything for under $20 at a department store like Macy’s?”

I get it – sometimes I feel like I can’t even afford to breathe the air in that store and I am doomed to spend my life lusting for everything on the over-stuffed racks. But I’m here to tell you it’s not impossible.  Macy’s is all about the discounts and they always have a giant selection in the clearance racks. Most of the stuff is under $50 and a giant chunk of that is under $20! You just need to know where to look for ‘em.

Here are a few of my personal favorites right now. And, yes, a lot of this stuff can take you right into fall: Read More »

8 Under $20: Mandee

20Dollars.preview

There’s nothing that puts a smile on my face like finding a fantastic bargain, and since we all wanna look good in a crappy economy, finding those deals is even more important these days.  Each week I’ll feature one store/website where you can find eight A-dorable items for under $20 (not too shabby, right?).

This week I’m featuring Mandee.  While some of their stuff admittedly looks like it costs under $20, it’s a great place to find cute basics, cheap denim, and certain trendy pieces that probably won’t last more than one season (so paying under $20 is perfect).  Another bonus: they often have good sales that make their stuff even more of a bargain.

Summer’s more than halfway over and school will be back in session before we know it, but there’s still plenty of warm weather to be had (and hey, you can usually utilize some of your cute summer clothes for those early days of fall semester) which means it’s not too late to buy halters, flip flops, shorts or skirts, especially when you can find ‘em this cheap. Read More »

Day-To-Night Styler: Give ‘em the Cold Shoulder

one shoulder berry one shoulder black one shoulder gray

[We all live busy lives: we go to school or work (or sometimes both), we try to keep our lives in order and, on top of everything else, we try to maintain a social life.

It can all be a bit overwhelming at times, especially when you’re running here, there and everywhere, and in the process of it all, still trying to look cute.  On a weekly basis, I will be posting a guide for an outfit that looks super cute and casual during the day, but you can easily rock out at night with a few accessory additions and/or a change of shoes.  And maybe, just maybe, it’ll help ease the stress of life a little bit because, hey, when we look good, we feel good, right?]

One shoulder cuts were all over the runways for spring and summer and while you can find some super sexy night time looks with this style, you can also find some more casual styles that can totally go from day to night with a couple of quick switcheroos. Read More »

The Budget Stylista: Budget Beach Babe

beach girls

I don’t get the appeal of the expensive beach babe. First of all, budget beach babe just sounds better. Second, I simply don’t understand the point of spending so much on a bathing suit just because the piping is plaid. What is the point of spending that much on something that isn’t even original. You look down the row of lounge chairs at a hot Miami hotel and it’s like Burberry drank too much last night resulting in a major hangover and then vomited all over the sunbathers.

There are SO many cute bathing suits, cover ups, sunglasses, totes, etc., out there that are muy cheapo but look muy expensivo. Plus, not only do you look like a beach babe, you look like an original that-girl-has-mad-fashion-sense one to boot.

Just don’t forget your SPF. Even I can’t make a person-turned-lobster look cute. Read More »

Weekly Wrap Up: Short Weeks Are Hard!

tired_baby-whew.jpgConsidering we had an extra day this weekend, this past week has been ROUGH. That Monday BBQ was awesome, but Tuesday just felt like the worst Monday of all time. It didn’t help that we ended up with a mullet because we were afraid of  offending our stylist.  Or the fact that we’re just now realizing our current “intimacy lite” situation with the boy we thought was our Prince Charming. But I guess we can’t really complain; at least we have the right to get married, unlike some of our friend in California.

But let’s not go there.

Instead, we’re going to enjoy this lovely spring weekend. Our toes are perfectly pedicured for flip-flops, and we’re going to head to the spa for a luxurious sperm facial (Note: don’t Google that…).  Then we plan to head home, settle in under our Snuggie and get suckered into buying even more crap we don’t need.  Hopefully there is some sort of miracle product on there to keep our abs in tip-top shape.  Nobody wants a mid-summer muffin top crisis.

Here’s to the weekend, even if it is only two days long this week!

The Perfect Sandal-Season Pedicure

pedicure

I’ve missed my sandals. I missed them so much that I dragged them out of the back of my closet a month ago, only to gaze longingly at them every day, sigh, and pull on another pair of warm socks. After a long, hard fall, winter AND spring of boots, rain boots, and snow boots, I am dying to leave the house in nothing but a kick ass summer dress and a fantastic pair of gladiator sandals.

Before that happens, though, I have to take care of one teeny problem. You know that long hard winter of boots I mentioned? It has left my feet looking….less than pretty. So, in preparation for the day when all my sandal dreams come true, here are some step-by-step instructions for an at-home pedicure that will have your feet ready to see the sun before you know it! Read More »