Under Twenty: Peep Toe Mary Janes

I am not sure exactly what draws me to these shoes, but I think they are quite fetching. I love the details of the floral lining and raised stitching. Something about them is reminiscent of Anthropologie, no?

Show off your toes for just $15.00 (orig. $43.00) from the 15 Dollar Store. Get them here.

Under Twenty: Dark Wash Skinny Jeans

I love dark skinnies.... love love love. And I honestly think that almost all woman can wear these, it just takes finding the right pair. So, if you are vetoing these, try a few pairs on before you decide they are the worst trend this year. I mean if people are wearing jumpsuits and rompers, you can try on slim fitting denim!

Get this heavily discounted pair for just $15 (orig. $64) from the 15 Dollar Store, here.

Under Twenty: Giraffe Heels

I am sure that none of you know this but I have a fond love patterned shoes, especially animal printed shoes. (I am kidding, of if you have read this blog a mere few times, I bet you have this figured out). I just think it adds a great pop to an outfit. You can have on a cardi and jeans and throw these puppies on, and it will put extra sass in your step.

Get these saucy heels for just $14.99 (orig. $24.99) from Pink Ice, here.

Under Twenty: J.Crew Cardigan

So, I totally bought this when it was $10 more... I honestly thought it would sell out. So, someone please buy one at this price so my shopping karma is restored.

Available in ivory, white, and blush for just $19.99 (orig. $58.00). Find it here.

By the way I love my cardigan. It's the perfect weight for warm weather!

Weekend Round-Up

The best deals were going last week. So, this week I only have a few things to share.


DownEast is having an in-store Green Tag Event! • Select Tops $5 • Select Skirts & Dresses $7. Hurry in for the best selection! Find an location near you, DownEast Basics, DownEast Outfitters.


American Eagle is having a sale on their shorts. It's getting hot, so go pick up something to keep you cool.

I have a couple of things coming up Under Twenty, so check back.

Reader Question & a Confession

Yesterday, I got a wonderfully complimentary comment from reader, Lauren. Beyond that she had a question (regarding the sandals in my Memorial Day post):

"...I ask just to see if you know, where did this shape of sandal come from? It is all over the place ... and I have a feeling that everybody didn't just come up with the same idea at the same time. Did a super-influential designer send it down the runways? or have these shoes been all over Europe? I'd love if you would follow this up-it would be a great start for a series of posts about designer looks for the budget concious. Thanks!"

Should I be ashamed to admit this? I have absolutely no idea where this shape comes from. I did find a "look for less" post on these sandals from several months ago. It lists a designer origin of DV by Dolce Vita. They are being sold at Piperlime for $49.99. Also, if you are looking for designer look-a-likes for less, an awesome source is a blog called The Look 4 Less.

Onto the confession.... are you guys excited? Ok, seriously. My confession is I know very little about designer fashion. I don't know the lines or most of the people who create them. I didn't even know what J.Crew was until about a year ago. Are you shocked? Anyway. I am learning as much about midrange and higher-end fashion as I can, as I try to give you the best looks for the best value. But the way I see it, we are on this journey together. Thanks for allowing me to take it with a few readers along for the ride. You guys are awesome.

Also, if any of you know more about the sandal shape in question, expand our community knowledge by leaving a comment!

Anthropologie: Deals & Steals

I found a few great things on clearance over at Anthropologie:

1 - White Pasque Tank $39.95 (orig. $78.00)
2 - Slim Stripe Pants $49.99 (orig. $88.00)
3 - Possibilities Cardigan $39.95 (orig. $78.00) - see some of the possibilites over at this post at Academichic
4 - Pigmented Canvas Trousers $49.99 (orig. $88.00)
5 - Tansy Tee $39.95 (orig. $68.00) - I love this one
6 - Stone & Cloud Skirt $49.95 (orig. $99.00)

What do you guys think? Leave a comment!

Thanks for reading, and as always,

Happy Shopping!

One Outfit: Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! I hope you are all enjoying a relaxing day of BBQ's and get-togethers with family and friends. I thought an outfit like this would be great for a day off like today (and it's even under $50!):


Basic V-Neck Tee - $4.50 - Forever 21

Pleated Canvas Hobo - $7.99 (orig. ) - Old Navy

Pleated Flip Skirt (in Jade, also available in 10 other patterns) - $16.90 - Wet Seal

Sandals - $18.99 - Cutesygirl

I am going to a BBQ at my brother's house (the brother that left that wonderfully epic comment on the Signature Style vs. Style Rut post) with my husband and parents. Hopefully we don't get rained out... What are your plans for today? I hope they are good. Oh yeah, what do you think of the outfit? Leave a comment!

Thanks for reading, and as always,

Happy Shopping!

Weekend Round-Up

This weekend is full of sales and deals because of the Memorial Holiday, so here are a few:

DSW has this promotion (Click here for the printable in store coupon):


Uptown Cheapskate has several deals going on:



{Click to Enlarge}
In addition to what I posted earlier this week, Wet Seal has this:


American Eagle has this to offer:


J.Crew is offering this sale:


Old Navy is offering $1 solid flip flops this Saturday only:


And don't forget that Payless coupon I posted last week.

Do any of you have any great deals to share? Leave a comment!

Thanks for reading, and as always,

Happy Shopping!

One Outfit and Love 21

Click here to find out which stores have (or will get) Love 21. See the Look Book here. When I first looked at the Love 21 line yesterday, I was really dissapointed. They had less than 10 items. But, they have added things all day, and I have since seen some really cute things. Peruse the line yourself here.

I found a really cute top over at Love 21 (that reminded me of this outfit I saw over at Cardigan Empire), and I thought I could build a summery look around it:

Denim Capri - $15.00 (orig. $39.00) - the 15 Dollar Store

Draped Overlay Knit Top - $15.80 - Love 21 by Forever 21

Patent Colorblock Thong Heel - $11.80 - Gojane

Posies Necklace - $12.80 - Forever 21

Printed Crossbody Hobo - $7.99 (orig. $12.50) - Old Navy

Have you guys checked out the Love 21 collection? What do you think? What do you think of the outfit? Leave a comment!

Thanks for reading, and as always,

Happy Shopping!

Wet Seal: Memorial Day Sale

Wet Seal is having a memorial day sale. I would especially look into the basics for $4, and the BOGO sandals.

Happy Shopping!

DIY: J.Crew Corsage Shirt

I saw this shirt on J.Crew's website a few weeks ago, and was in a real DIY mood, so I asked my friend Amanda if she thought we could make them. She was in. This is a comparison:


I am sure that it doesn't photograph as well as it looks in person.

The method:

We bought 3 scoop neck shirts at Wet Seal (one for each of us, and one to cut up). We made a heart-shaped stencil to cut out the pieces to construct the corsage.


We used between 12-14 heart shaped cutouts. We used straight pins to decide on placement. One problem we had with our project was because of knit of the shirt, the cutouts rolled a lot at the edges. I even started sewing the project, got frustrated with the amount of rolling and stopped. I picked it all out and started over. One thing that helped to combat the rolling was making sure that we gathered it enough as we sewed it on.

We ended up spending about $7.50 (and 5 hours) on the shirts. The scoop neck tops were 3 for $12 and we just had to buy thread to match. (The J.Crew version was $29)

What do you guys think? Do any of you do DIY fashion sewing projects? Do they turn out? Leave a comment!

Thanks for reading!

Weekend Round-Up

Retail tidbits for this week:

I got this coupon in my inbox this week:


The deal is good through June 1st.

I saw this on a post over at Your Heart Out about a new line called Bright Side from Shade Clothing.


A few of the shirts I thought were cute:


The shirts are $20, which seems like it's not that cheap, but 50% of the net proceeds of the line goes to United Way. So, think of it this way, you are paying $10 for the Tee and giving $10 to families in need everytime you buy one. Sounds more reasonable doesn't it?

That's it for this week. I hope you all have lovely weekends,

Happy Shopping!

Love 21

I got a little gift of an email the other day from Forever 21. They are introducing yet another line. This one is called Love 21 (are you noticing a trend here?)


I am really excited about this line (although I would love to know what they mean by 'contemporary'). According Forever 21's Twitter (via a 3rd party, I am not cool enough to be on Twitter), "Love 21 will have the trends you find at F21 but with more focus on fabrication and trims, and a more sophisticated feel." Ooooh, I am so excited! Their lookbook isn't up yet, but when it is I will let you know!

Thanks for reading!

Victoria Secret Clearance Sale

My friend Ali sent me this link and, boy, am I glad she did. Victoria Secret is offering extra discounts on their already discounted clearance items.


Here are my favorites:


1 - Stretch Pencil Skirt $11.99 (orig. $59.50)
2 - Striped Skirt $14.99 (orig. $59.50) {Not usually a fan of full skirts, but I love this}
3 - Stretch Twill Bootleg Pants $11.99 (orig. $49.50)
4 - Silk & Cashmere Tie-Back Sweater $11.99 (orig. $68.00)
5 - Bootcut Twill Pants $11.99 (orig. $29.50)
6 - Merino Wool Puff-Sleeve Turtleneck Sweater $23.39 (orig. $58.00)

Don't forget the coupon (code: 40XTRA) is good for 40% off of 1 item only. Also, if you spend $100 or more use coupon code: MORESAVE, for a discount of $20 off.

What do you all think of these finds? Have you purchased items other than intimates at Victoria's Secret before? Leave a comment!

Thanks for reading, and as always,

Happy Shopping!

One Outfit

It has been awhile since I have assembled an outfit of my own without taking something from somewhere and doing it for less, so I thought I would do that today. As you all should know by now, I love a good pattern... and I found a great one to build this outfit around (all for close to $70):


Jamie Sweater Cardigan - $17.80 - Forever 21

Natural Floral Suspended Halter Tank - $18.50 - Old Navy

White Stretch Slacks - $15.00 (orig. $36.00) - the 15 Dollar Store

Raspberry Kitten Heel - $19.99 (orig. $24.99) - Payless Shoesource

What do you all think? Would you wear it? Leave a comment!

Thanks for reading, and as always,

Happy Shopping!

Flat Sandals

For the last year, flat sandals have been everywhere. Rumor has it they hit the scene in the Sex and the City movie last summer, and haven't gone away. As with most trends, I really didn't like them at first, but now they are starting to grow on me. I even tried on this pair this weekend while shopping.

I have gathered a few budget friendly pairs of flat sandals for you all:

1. Perforated Stud Gladiator Sandal - $15.20 - GOjane
2. T-Strap Gladiator Sandal - $12.60 - Gojane
3. Classified Chili Flats - $19.99 - Cutesygirl
4. Criss-Cross Buckle Sandal - $13.20 - GOJane
5. Classified Gadish Flats - $18.99 - Cutesygirl
6. Studded Shield Buckle Sandal - $13.40 - GOjane

What do you all think of gladiator sandals? Do you wear them? If so, with what? Do you wish you could pull them off, or do you wish the trend would run it's course already? Leave a comment!

Thanks for reading, and as always,

Happy Shopping!

Weekend Round-Up

Retail tidbits for this week:

Kohl's is having some major clearance



A few of my favs:
1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10

At Plato's Closet in Taylorsville, they are offering buy 2 tanks, get 1 free. And sell them 2 pairs of jeans and get $5 as a bonus to spend on something in the store (both offers good thru 5/31)!

If you have any deals to share, leave a comment!

Thanks for reading, and Happy shopping!

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Signature Style vs. Style Rut

I have been thinking about signature style lately. I am just developing my signature style, due mostly to the fact that I am just 23. In the last year, I think I have really started to hone in on what is signature to my look. Well enough that my friends know what is "me", if we shop together they can point out the things that I love, or will call and say they went somewhere "Madeline style".

A big part of my signature style is that I don't pay full price for anything. In fact, many of the things I post about are at a price that would make me hesitate to purchase. When I say my outfits cost less than $50, I am not kidding. I thrift, I shop consignment, I dig through clearance racks, I love Ross and TJ Maxx. And after I do those things, I am willing to make modifications with my own sewing machine. Part of the love of clothes I have is finding the best deal I can.

But other than thrift, what are my style staples? I love all things patterned, everyday I wear something with a print, be it a shoe, a top, an accessory, it is always there. I love belts. This is something I have recently discovered and have implemented often. I am an "hourglass", so my waist is one of my best features, I cinch in to show it off. I And I love cardigans. I wear cardigans with almost everything, 3 parts because I love them and 1 part because the office I work in is always colder than any human being should be comfortable with. I love chunky colorful necklaces and bangles, I inherited most of mine from my grandmother, and they are fabulous! I wear mostly dark rinse denim (trouser cut for work and skinny for everything else). If you happen to combine any of these things, like a belted, patterned, cardigan, then it just screams my name.

Also, you will never catch me wearing a hoodie and sneakers for any purpose (ok, if you happen to be in Alaska when I am mending fishing nets, you just might). I prefer to spend my down time wearing something a bit polished. I wear comfortable flats and a cardigan any day over a hoodie and sneakers.

My question to all of you is when does having a signature style, a uniform of your very own, bleed into being in a style rut? When does wearing a belt go from a fashion technique to a crutch? I haven't the slightest clue... what do you all think? Do you have a signature style, are you in a style rut... are they in fact the same? Leave a comment!

Go Bold

I read an interesting post over at Already Pretty (that I found via academichic). It was full of advice on how to be fabulous. But, my favorite thing said was this:

Go bold:
Choose hefty accessories, wild prints, statement shoes. Chunky, funky, and fantastic. And give not a moment's thought to whether or not you can pull it off - believe that you can, and you can.

I love it, every word. And I try to do this (especially with accessories) every day. Here are a few bold things I am digging:


1 - Jeweled Medallions Necklace - $6.80 - Forever 21
2 - Paisley Lucite Bangle - $4.80 - Forever 21
3 - Fab Canvas Floral Wallet - $9.80 - Forever 21
4 - Leopard Kitten Heel - $13.99 - GOjane
5 - Knotted Serpentine Necklace - $7.80 - Forever 21
6 - Patent Heel - $16.99 (orig. $19.99) - GOjane


1 - Satin Floral Pleat Dress - $24.80 -Forever 21
2 - Fab Colored Skinny Jean - $13.50 - Forever 21
3 - Arlene Chiffon Top - $15.80 - Forever 21
4 - Ikat Slvls Top - $12.80 - Forever 21
5 - Doreen Printed Dress - $19.80 - Forever 21
6 - Fab Straight Leg Color Jean - $12.50 - Forever 21

So what do you guys think about going bold? Do you do it? Do you wish you did? Leave a comment!

Thanks for reading, and as always,

Happy Shopping!

Landmark

Uber-chic just hit 10,000 hits (not that I pay attention to that sort of thing)....

Thanks for being great readers!

Mix-It Up

A few weeks ago, I did a post on "mixing it up", where I paired an upscale piece with bargain finds. I thought it was a fun post, and I got a good repsonse, so here is another (ringing in at $82.48):

Merino Pinwheel Cardigan $39.99 (orig. $98.00) - J.Crew

White Tank $3.50 - Forever 21

Rolled Boyfriend Jean - $19.99 (orig. $32.50) - Wet Seal

T-Strap Sandals - $19.99 (orig. $24.99) - Payless ShoeSource (BOGO is in effect until Midnight tonight!)

I know I have voiced my doubts about the boyfriend jean phenominon.... that was until I saw this post over at academichic. A. is a real person wearing it, and looking amazing. Of course you don't have to buy a pair of "boyfriend jeans", you can follow the advice in this post from a few weeks ago and dig through your closet for an old tattered pair that you already own (or you can thrift a pair!) All I am saying is don't knock it until you try a pair on.

What do you guys think of the combination of boyfriend jeans with heels and an embelished sweater? Or of boyfriend jeans in general? Leave a comment!

Thanks for reading, and as always,

Happy Shopping!

J.Crew: The Look For Less {Update}

Not only did the skirt I chose for this look for less go out of stock, I found one I liked better for less money. Then I wanted to pick new shoes. In typical fashion, I can't stick with an outfit without constantly shifting pieces around.


The Skirt:


Giselle Linen Skirt - Forever 21

The Shoes:


Patent T-Strap Flats - Charlotte Russe