Winning Wednesday: Great Fashion Giveaways

Winning a giveaway is fantastic for two reasons: 1.) You have a new item to add to your wardrobe for free. What could be more frugal than that!? 2.) You are (most likely) introduced to a new company/store/brand/what-have-you. This is a great way to try something you either might not have bought on your own or try something you may have never heard about prior! I love that. This, my friends, is why every week I write a little post called Winning Wednesday.

Are you ready for this week's round of giveaways? There are so many wonderful blogs hosting giveaways for gorgeous items...

1. Town Square Jewelry is giving away one of their 14K Gold Soldered French Rope bracelets! Perfect for wearing alone for a simple look or layering with your other favorite bracelets for a more trendy look, no? Click here to enter!
GIVEAWAY ENDS: July 24, 2011

2. Fashion Me Fabulous (Extras) reviewed a set of Mary Kay cosmetics and is also giving one away! The set is valued at $100. I have been a fan of Mary Kay products for some time - they were some of the first makeup my mom ever bought me! Click here to enter!
GIVEAWAY ENDS: June 30, 2011 at 5PM PST

3. When I'm Not Naked is giving away a Marc Jacobs beach towel and two pairs of heart shaped sunglasses to one of her readers. Fashion at the beach? I am so there! Click here to enter!
GIVEAWAY ENDS: July 22, 2011

4. Cherry Blossoms is giving away a $100 Shopbop gift card! I happen to know that there a few pairs of Frye shoes on sale there right now for less than $100... :) Click here to enter!
GIVEAWAY ENDS: July 2, 2011

5. Calivintage is giving away one of my most favorite things in this world... a pair of glasses! Yep, you can enter to win a pair of glasses or sunglasses from Bonlook! I'm currently swooning over the Happy Tuesday pair in beige. I just think the color is so unexpected and the frame shape is perfect. Click here to enter!
GIVEAWAY ENDS: July 5, 2011

6. Just Lovely Things is giving away a $20 shop credit to Acute Designs! Want to know what I would buy? I've had my eye on her vintage orange lace tangerine drops earrings for a little while now. So pretty and the perfect color! Click here to enter!
GIVEAWAY ENDS: July 1, 2011

7. Think Thru Fashion is giving away a pair of Report footwear to one lucky winner! The Bergen in red is out of this world - totally a favorite of mine! Click here to enter!
GIVEAWAY ENDS: July 12, 2011

8. Sandy A La Mode is giving away a Shabby Apple dress! Even more exciting - you get to pick between three different dresses! I would personally go with the turquoise ahoy! dress - the color, design and fit are all gorgeous! Click here to enter!
GIVEAWAY ENDS: July 7, 2011

9. Breakfast at Saks is giving away a Sebastian Color Ignite gift basket and, upon entering, you'll also have a chance to win an iPad, a Marc Jacobs iPad cover, an iTunes gift card, and a Sebastian gift basket (worth $1000!). Need I say more!? Click here to enter!
GIVEAWAY ENDS: June 30, 2011 at midnight

10. My Precious Confessions is giving away a $50 gift certificate to Threadsence. What would you purchase with your winnings? I would love to buy the Color Block Me Not Asymmetrical Tank Tunic - it involves all of my favorite things right now: the peachy color, the asymmetrical cut, and it is a tunic length! Click here to enter!
GIVEAWAY ENDS: July 4, 2011

Good luck, guys! Have you won any giveaways lately? Do tell!

Camo Dreams (4/30)

Let's talk about camo today, shall we? I have been obsessed with the idea of owning a camo jacket for a while now. The obsession got further out of control when I came across this photo at All The Pretty Birds! Doesn't she look amazing? The camo jacket just totally makes the whole look and the necklace she paired with it? Oh, swoon. Needless to say, I have spent great amounts of time dreaming up my own camo jacket and what I would pair it with.

Then came one fateful trip to Old Navy. And there it was. Hanging alone on a clearance rack amidst tanks and sundresses. My perfect size. A dream come true!


Pleated Skirt: Peter Popovitch, Thrifted, $1.50
Black Tee: Forever21, Thrifted, OLD
Camo Jacket: Old Navy, $20.99 (on clearance)
Braided Belt: Tagless, Thrifted, $1
Wedge Sandals: Mossimo "Pilar", Target, FREE ($29.99 but bought with gift card)
Glasses: SEE Eyewear
Bracelet: Inherited from grandma
Watch: Inherited from grandma
It got a simple styling today - all black and camo. It doesn't get much easier than that yet it still looks good, you know? Classic with a twist. Pleats with an edge. My favorite belt to cinch the jacket in...


And my favorite jewelry ight now...


Both are pieces I inherited from my grandma... The watch doesn't work at this point but I wear it because it reminds me of her. Out of all the jewelry I inherited from her, this is my favorite. It is the one of my favorite memories of her - she was always wearing a watch and it was always a small, dainty watch like this. In fact, this was the one she wore the most and the only one left in her massive jewelry box at her death. Clearly, it was her favorite, which makes it a fast favorite for me as well.

In closing,



1. A favorite jacket
2. A favorite skirt
3. Favorite jewelry

It all makes for a happy Katie.

Lemon and Lime (3/30)

How do you combat the back-to-work Monday blues? I dressed up in a color blocked, bright as can be kind of outfit! Truth be told, I think it really did help my outlook today.


Yellow Henley: Old Navy, Thrifted, $2.99
Vintage Green Skirt: Tagless, Thrifted, $7.50
Nude Flats: Mossimo Supply Co, Target, $6.48 (clearance - in store)
Necklace: Gift from friend, Bought in Italy!
Glasses: SEE Eyewear
The minute I picked out my thirty pieces, I had this outfit in mind. I mean, bright yellow and bright green? It's a match made in heaven or, at the very least, a match made for summer! Plus, I have a lot of great, bright jewelry that can go with it so well - the piece that made the final cut is this amazing beaded necklace a friend of mine brought back with her for me from Italy.

Molto bello!

Now... what shall I ever wear tomorrow?



Chow! :)

Lady Grey (2/30)

Some days just seem nothing but a world of grey. Do you ever have those days?


Gingham Button Up: Merona, Target, $4.98 (clearance)
White Tee: Charlotte Russe, OLD
Grey Capris: LEE, Won in giveaway (FREE!)
Houndtooth Scarf: Old Navy, OLD
Sandals: Liz Claiborne Flex, Thrifted, $2.80
Glasses: SEE Eyewear

You wake up late. Your shower doesn't seem long enough. Nothing fits right, looks right, feels right, anything right. Your hair doesn't lay the way you want it to. It's too hot outside. The humidity makes your hair look worse. It's so cold inside that you suddenly feel like you should be wearing a fur coat. Your nail polish chips. Your job bores you to tears. You talk to five million angry people on the phone. A co-worker annoys you. Dinner has to be made. Laundry needs to be washed. Projects need to be completed. Trash needs to be taken out. And so on and so on.

And then your boyfriend takes your fashion photos for your blog and makes you smile all goofy like and everything is put into balance again.



Here's to the grey days that make you appreciate the non grey days that much more! :)

Black and Yellow, Black and Yellow (1/30)

Last week I got the chance to hang out with Suze of Miss Vinyl Ahoy and Nicole and Mary of The Sale Rack at the Canton Public Library to talk about shopping, deals and discounts as part of the library's Frugal Living presentation series. It also happened to be the first day I broke out my 30 for 30 pieces.


Yellow Henley: Old Navy, Thrifted, $2.99
Black Dress: Merona, Thrifted, Old
Sandals: Mossimo "Pilar", Target, $29.99 (but free, bought with gift card)
Washer Necklace: Handmade gift from my BFF
Long Chain Necklace: Estate Sale, $0.50
Black Beaded Bracelets: Gift from boyfriend
Evil Eye Bead Bracelet: Gift from friend at work
Glasses: SEE Eyewear

Now, please forgive my wrinkles. This dress likes to wrinkle anyway but after eight hours at work and two hours in the car during crazy bad traffic, I was looking a little rough. I like to think of wrinkles as little love ripples of worn clothing. I'm kidding. I'm just saying that to cover up how much I hate ironing. :)

Also, I don't know if you can tell from the photo, but I painted my nails. If you know me well, you know this is unheard of. I'm not the biggest fan of painted nails (on myself) because A) it never stays looking as nice as I would like it to for as long as I want it to and B) I'm terrible at painting my left hand. Anyway, I painted my nails a shimmery yellow-gold to match my outfit and was delighted with the result. I also painted my toes a neon orange shade that I picked up for $2.99...


And just for fun, some voguing for your viewing pleasure...





All photos taken by Miss Vinyl Ahoy!

Winning Wednesday: Great Fashion Giveaways

Winning a giveaway is fantastic for two reasons: 1.) You have a new item to add to your wardrobe for free. What could be more frugal than that!? 2.) You are (most likely) introduced to a new company/store/brand/what-have-you. This is a great way to try something you either might not have bought on your own or try something you may have never heard about prior! I love that. This, my friends, is why every week I write a little post called Winning Wednesday.

It's that time again! Wednesday has come up quickly for me this week. How about you? Take a look at the great giveaways going on this week -

1. Princess Dominique is giving away a pair of Renee Glitter sandals from Sole Society. I absolutely love the gladiator style and nude/gold tone glitter of these sandals! Absolutely perfect to pair with almost anything this summer! Click here to enter!
Giveaway Ends: June 25, 2011

2. Bright Wishes is giving away a sari wrap and print of your choice from Scenic Glory. I think this sari wrap bracelet would look amazing with airy summer maxi dresses. Click here to enter!
Giveaway Ends: July 1, 2011

3. Denimology is giving away three head to toe looks from the girl's Volcom denim collection! Click here to learn about all the ways you can enter to win!
Thank you to my new twitter follower, @butterflyrouge, for letting me know about this great giveaway!
Giveaway Ends: June 30, 2011

4. Style du Jour is giving away an autographed copy of Tim Gunn's book, Gunn’s Golden Rules: Life’s Little Lessons for Making It Work! Tim is one of my favorite things about Project Runway, so I'm sure this would be a great read. Click here to enter!
Giveaway Ends: June 24, 2011

5. The Unique Gift Ideas Blog is giving away a gorgeous pair of handmade "mint leaves" earrings from Tatiana G. Bright and cheerful, these are gorgeous! Click here to enter!
Giveaway Ends: June 27, 2011

6. Thrifty Craftin' Mama is giving away Goody Spin Pins to two lucky winners! I have heard AMAZING things about these - they basically do the work of twenty bobby pins, according to Thrifty Craftin' Mama! (Now if only I had longer locks!) Summer hair, here you come! Click here to enter!
Giveaway Ends: June 26, 2011

7. From Under My Little Umbrella is giving her readers the chance to win one of two gorgeous vintage dresses! I am hoping, wishing and praying that the beautiful daisy dress becomes mine! Which is your favorite? Click here to enter!
Giveaway Ends: June 29, 2011

8. Orchid Grey is giving away a $35 store credit to Bearcat Vintage! How utterly amazing are these platform sandals from her shop?! I want! Click here to enter!
Giveaway Ends: June 28, 2011

9. Crowley Party is giving away an accessory of winner's choice from Posh-Blvd! I'm loving her head wraps - I find that I like to use those during the summer as a little something extra when I put my hair up. Click here to enter!
Giveaway Ends: June 29, 2011

10. Authentic Arts by Jenny Hoople is giving away FIVE pairs of her earrings to one lucky winner! I am especially enamoured with these turquoise earrings in her shop. Perfect shape, perfect size, perfect color. So pretty! Click here to learn how to enter!
Giveaway Ends: July 3, 2011

30 x 30 - Summer 2011 - My Pieces

I may be a week late, but I'm still in the game! I am taking part again in the 30 for 30 Remix because time after time it has helped this shopaholic clothing hoarder realize that so much can be done with just thirty pieces.

I took a while this time to put together a collection of thirty pieces that I feel can play off well together and help me reinvent some old pieces I've had in my closet for some time. I've challenged myself to use a few things that I have barely worn and I've thrown in the some bright happy pieces that I always like to turn to.

If you're new around my blog, you should probably know that I work in an office five days of the week and therefore my clothing is centered around that need. No shorts or anything too revealing for this girl! Also, though this is a summer round of the 30x30, I do indeed have some longer sleeves and jackets mixed in as my office can be quite chilly.

Let's get on to my choices!









So, what do you think? Any good outfit ideas for me?

It was late last night when I posted this so I forgot to let you know that I modeled the photos of my clothes after the beautiful images at Spool 72. Spool 72 is also known as the place I love to window shop the most online. So many pretty things. :)

Winning Wednesday: Great Fashion Giveaways

Winning a giveaway is fantastic for two reasons: 1.) You have a new item to add to your wardrobe for free. What could be more frugal than that!? 2.) You are (most likely) introduced to a new company/store/brand/what-have-you. This is a great way to try something you either might not have bought on your own or try something you may have never heard about prior! I love that. This, my friends, is why every week I write a little post called Winning Wednesday.

Did you miss Winning Wednesdays? I can't believe it's almost been a month since I did one! I promise I won't let them go by the wayside like that again.

1. Shopbop.com wants to thank its fans by giving away a $5,000 shopping spree! I don't know about you but I think that is quite a nice way to thank their fans! Click here to enter!
Giveaway Ends: August 1, 2011

2. Fashion by Alicia is giving away an Anika Burke Eclectic Boutique mystery pack of jewelry! Speaking on personal experience, I know you will want to enter this giveaway! I won a mystery pack the other week on her facebook page and received my pack in the mail today. I love it! Besides, what could be better than getting a mystery package of jewelry in the mail!? Click here to enter!
Giveaway Ends: June 28, 2011

3. Ann Taylor wants to style your summer with a $1,000 shopping spree! Style me up, Ann! I'm ready! Click here to enter!
Giveaway Ends: June 29, 2011

4. Baby Loving Mama is giving away a $100 gift certificate to Macy's!! Click on over to her site and be sure to check out the Macy's Million Dollar Makeover video... then, start scheming your one hundred dollar makeover! Click here to enter!
Giveaway Ends: June 19, 2011

5. The Glamourai is giving away a $500 credit for you to spend on your favorites at Beso.com! Oh, boy, where would I begin!? Click here to enter!

6. Lady M is hosting her first giveaway! Want to win a pretty summer dress from ASOS? I bet you do! Click here to enter!
Giveaway Ends: June 17, 2011

7. Wild and Precious is giving away a choice of gladiator shoes from Blowfish Shoes! Gladiators are my absolute favorite style to wear during the summer! Click here to enter!
Giveaway Ends: June 19, 2011

8. In need of a fashionable makeover of your blog header? You're in luck! Wild and Precious is also giving away a blog header and button design from her sponsor, Behold the Metatron! Click here to enter!
Giveaway Ends: June 17, 2011

9. Village is giving away a Pop Pop Portraits tote and your choice of three prints! Click here to enter!

10. Calivintage is giving away a $50 gift certificate to Milk and Bread vintage goods. I'd put it to great use by buying their blue and white polka dot dress! Click here to enter!
Giveaway Ends: June 20, 2011

Every Body, Every Wear: LACE

Guys, I have a confession: I am exhausted. I feel like the past two months have ran me ragged and the effects are beginning to show. Why am I telling you this? Well, because I feel like my outfit is lackluster today and I took the photos in literally two seconds. I'll be a better fashion blogger tomorrow maybe. :)


Tank: Old Navy, $5 ($5 tank sale)
Lace Top: Tagless, Thrifted, $2.99
Wide Leg Pants: Max Studio, Thrifted, ?
Shoes: LEI, Sears, ?
Necklace: Candies, Kohls, $13
Glasses: SEE Eyewear

This outfit didn't have the flow I imagined it having when I put it together late last night. I never seem to learn my lesson about picking my clothes out right before I go to bed. I'm sleepy. I'm in a hurry. It doesn't turn out well.

Despite that, how are you feeling about this hot pink lace top? I actually snatched it up this past weekend while on a mini pre-birthday shopping gander through Salvation Army. Neon and lace? Sign me up. It reminded me of the Christopher Kane Spring 2011 collection that I was drooling over not too long ago.



This necklace was one of the few things I have paid full price for in probably... well, a very a long time. I bought it last Christmas to complete an outfit that I knew would not be complete until I had this necklace. I've worn it twice since. Oops! Attempting to get more use out of it has proven tough but I'm trying... I kind of like how it adds a new level of pink craziness to this outfit. I actually got the comment at work today that I looked like a pink explosion. I'll take it.


Finally, can I have a moment of silence for one of my favorite pairs of shoes? Yes, I seriously wore these like this today. Ha ha. I couldn't help it... I had to give them one last wear before they are retired. I made the mistake of leaving them on the floor, out of their box, the last time I wore them so my sweet cat had himself a nice little treat overnight. So sad. So sad.

Miss Mix A Lot

One of the events that kept me so busy last week was my little brother (my youngest sibling) graduating from the 8th grade. Collective AWWW, please! I can hardly believe that the little baby I used to babysit is now a year older than I was when he was born! It may seem to strange to a lot of people that my little brother is significantly younger than I am but it it something I don't even think twice about now.

Here is what I wore to work and to his graduation ceremony...


Top: GAP, Thrifted, $3.80
Dress (as skirt): Merona, Target, $9.99 (clearance)
Heels: Linea Paolo, Thrifted, $4.60
Necklace: Part of vintage jewelry grab bag, Vera Grace, $5
Glasses: SEE Eyewear
TOTAL = 23.39
You may remember these two pieces... both are from prior 30 for 30 remixes. I thought that this dress may have been banished to the depths of a winter wardrobe only but I think I brought it into the spring season pretty well with this outfit. What do you think?

And just for kicks, here's a fun photo of my "little" brother and I after he graduated. Yeah, not so little anymore. Remember, I was wearing heels here, folks.



Speaking of the 30 for 30 remix, guess who will be participating again? Yep, that would be me. Yes, I'm a little behind already but I'm coming around. I finished photographing all my pieces today so I will hopefully be sharing those with you tomorrow! I'm really excited about this edition because I really love every single piece in my collection!

Memorial Day In Detroit

Oh, hey, blog. Long time no type. Last week was a busy week for me so I stepped away from the computer for a bit to get my head on straight! :) It's time to play a little catch up today and show you what I did and what I wore on Memorial Day.


Denim Shirt: Blue Asphalt, Thrifted, $1.40
Plaid Romper: The Limited, Thrifted ages ago
Blue Sandals: Payless, last summer
Vintage Pins: Inherited from my grandma
Glasses: SEE Eyewear
Purse: Coach (vintage), Thrifted, $4 (yes, seriously, $4)
Now, here's the thing. I've owned this "romper" for probably two years now. I've never worn it prior to this day. Why, you ask? I have a love/hate relationship with rompers. (By the way, I HATE the word romper. It sounds like something you would wear as a toddler.) I have found quite a number of adorable, vintage rompers at the thrift store but none of them ever seem to fit me as I swear I have the world's longest torso. I had the same problem shopping for leotards for my ballet classes years ago. Nothing is ever long enough for me and is therefore completely unwearable due to discomfort and unflattering business going on.

This is the first romper that has come close to being comfortable... though I'm still not sure if I am completely on board with it yet. I really like the plaid and the color, though, so I keep giving it a try. Well, this is my first actual attempt. What do you think? Also, I think this is the shortest thing I have ever shown myself wearing on this blog. Yay for nobbley knees? :)


Two of my latest favorites from the shoe box full of jewelry I inherited from my grandma - These two vintage pins. Again, as I've said before, I don't ever remember her wearing these nor can I imagine her wearing anything like these but I supposed she probably owned them or wore them during the years they were popular... which was some time either before me or before I would remember what she wore anyway. Never the less, I always like the idea that she held onto them for a reason - maybe they were a sweet little gift from my grandpa or maybe she wore them to something and had a memorable time? Who knows. They're adorable any way you slice it.

Also fun? Having a great time hanging out with my boyfriend in Detroit. We packed a picnic lunch and strolled the RiverWalk.










That's my boyfriend giving me a mini Michigan history lesson while checking out this sign. He's into things like that. :)
I hope you guys had a great week last week!