[Welcome to Celebrity Chic on the Cheap, where our style guru takes a celebrity look and breaks it down for you, our poor college fashionista. What does that mean? It means that while the celebrities (I'm talkin' bout you, Olivia Wilde) are spending $5,000 on an ensemble, you don’t have to.]

I am completely in awe of Vanessa Hudgens. If my four-year long relationship with Zac Efron had ended, I would have fallen off the face of the earth. I would have gone on a bender that would make even Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen stop and side-eye me. My only mission in life would have been to redefine trainwreck. There’s no way I would have stepped out in public on a regular basis looking even more gorgeous and stunning than ever. And yet, that is exactly what Miss V did.

I bow down to her post-breakup prowess.

Vanessa has always had a shabby chic aesthetic that I love. She’s all about pieces that flow with her body, nothing too overwhelming or overly constricting. (Guess she’ll fit in well next Fall?) Her look is flattering and easy to put together, while still being visually intriguing and fresh. Layers and great accessories are staple elements of a Vanessa-inspired outfit and with a little savvy online shopping, I’ve layered and greatly accessorized one for myself. Read More »

I’m officially a college graduate and am joining the masses of recent grads sobbing audibly as they scroll through their Facebook photos from the past 4 years moving to a new city and a new life. As I pack up my boxes once again, I’ve realized that my college dorm décor may not exactly suit for the real world.

I want to update my room style from posters of David Beckham and Edward Cullen (I love you, RPatz – if you’re out there….call me. Seriously….) to shabby chic art, furniture, and frames. I want my room to scream “I’m a fabulous adult” and not “I frequent college poster sales,” and I don’t want to spend a lot of money to do it.

Instead of bringing along a DIY corkboard (perfect for any college dorm), I decided it was time to display my favorite college mementos, pictures, and reminders in a more sophisticated way. So I scoured the internet and the few flea markets that exist in my neighborhood to get design ideas until finally I came across an old miniature dress form.

Dress forms have been a symbol of chic fashionistas since sewing was invented. To me they scream modern yet vintage décor, and can be used for more things than just designing clothes. Instead of traditional frames or tape to mount my favorite pictures and mementos on a wall, I transformed the dress form into its own display board, frame, and jewelry case.

So here is an easy, creative, and inexpensive way to step up your style and display tidbits of your life. Read More »