Ya heard?

                             Earrings 50 cents (second hand) and hand me down purple gems

                                 

                                                       Nasty Gal Spike Earrings $18.00

                                                          Etsy Chain Earring $14.40

                    

Oh, Robyn how you've inspired me. Mostly because her earrings are so amazing and outlandish (I mean, an earring that goes from the top of your ear to your chest?!) . I've sort of adapted her style into everyday or at least I try to. I bought a single clip on  chain earring, the one on the top of my ear at a second hand store for fifty cents. I was wanting to pierce my cartilage but I've lost all my fearlessness in piercing. The one towards the bottom of my ear is surprisingly my Great Grandma's old set of earrings, also clip on. I can't believe how comtemporary these are, considering they are probably from the 40's or 50's.  But alas, keep your eyes out for clip on's at second hand stores and until then enjoy this Etsy pair I found are super cute and the store owner BrassRoots has some pretty cute stuff and free shipping too! As well as the Nasty Gal spike earrings I love, love. I have similar ones and everyone always comments on how intense they are but thats why I love them.

Meow

                                                               French Chic Via Sartorialist                                           

Zara Lookbok

                                                               Under Thirty Solution ASOS

Oh leopard print. My friend Liz told me that there is no possible way I can sell her leopard (although I do remember she stole a leopard shirt dress from me, once ah hem). Its ugly, thats why its hard to sell because its ugly and outdated and can go from funky to skanky QUICK. 

However, when I saw the lookbook pictures from Zara, they got me "ohhing and ahhhiinng" and then came the Sartorialist picture of that lovely French woman and I thought, now that is a look I can go for. I think the thing with leopard is that you sort of have to dilute it, layer it, and make it a highlight rather than the whole show. I also like this Vintage look from Etsy, minus the styling, sorry. I see the ASOS sweater paired with maybe a denim shirt on the outside and some skinny black jeans. You into that?

P.S. I'm going to lay off the ASOS because I can't use the same site all the time. Expect some streetstyle stuff next week, entire looks under thirty and mad jewelry.  Maybe some beauty swag? 


Also, you know what's under thirty bucks? The new Nicki Minaj CD, which is insane. 

Band of Horses

                                                                
                                                                 Inspiration Via Zara 

                         Under Thirty Solution Via Urban Outfitters $24.99

I think the Black Blazer is coming to an end. I'm sorry, it was fun while it lasted but nothing ever does. I had to part ways with mine when I leaned against a freshly painted white wall on Valencia a few months ago. I tried to pull off the starving artist look for a while but got sick of people trying to brush off the white from my shoulder. This little number is just perfect though, a riding jacket that isn't trying too hard to look exactly like you could at any point hop on a horse. I see it paired with skinny black pants just like the Zara look and to be honest this UO version is probably fifty dollars cheaper (marked down from $88) and fifty percent better quality. I love, love Zara but I think they have serious quality issues. I got this Zara lookbook picture from one of my favorite bloggers, a dazzling girl from Spain: My Daily Style, she has amazing posts on childrens' clothes that make me excited to one day dress one myself. 

Business in the Front

Blouse $24.14 ASOS



I was drawn to the print and the beige/pinkish color of this blouse, perfect for work or for a dinner, just be careful when you take your sweater off. Sexy, alert though. My sister says I'm getting to obsessed with back exposing blouses they are so much sexier and more classy than cleavage to me. This shirt is from ASOS, a British Macy's kind of store, a bit more hip and brand based though. It will set you back 24 bucks but Free Shipping right now! Also, ASOS Curve is an excellent site for plus sized clothes, and they don't forfeit style and trends like some plus sized clothing brands do. 

Oh Hey Hi!

Well hello, hey, hi. Wasn't this a long time coming friends? Most of you, friends are probably pretty sick of me talking about me starting my very own blog but not actually doing it but here I am making the first move. So let me tell you the deal with this silly blog. 

I read, look at, admire, loathe numerous blogs everyday and have for going on two years but I find something well, off about the lifestyle and fashion blogs I frequent. I noticed that they have a plethora of inspirational clothes, food, gadgets, shoes, bags, etc. but most of them are a bit too expensive for a straight out of college gal like myself or my friends. Truth is, this is a dead beat economy and the truth is, trends shouldn't cost you an arm and a leg. In fact I truly think you can find fantastic pieces for your wardrobe, things to eat, things to drink, and to play with for under 30 bucks. So nothing on this blog will be over 30 bucks and if it is I will tell you why its worth it (like my $70.00 Bass Oxfords, which I'm still paying for, yay credit cards!). 

I want to try away from super trends and also from too many Thrift Store finds because most of the time those are rare. If I have a good find at a Thrift store I might gloat a bit but I want to try and stick to second hand pieces that are easily found at thrift stores for everyone or something you might even be able to find in your Mom's closet. 

So that's it! Please "follow me" and I will try to update at least 4 times a week and I hope even more. Feel free to email with suggestions, questions or anything else. Happy Winter!

P.S. This picture was taken last weekend outside of the Randall Museum in Buena Vista Heights in San Francisco, home of one of the biggest Chert outcrops in California. (Did I mention I love geology)

Things are Black and White

                                                           


                                         Macy's Sweater 11.99 marked down from $60.00

One word: Sale. 

           I started buying into the whole drapey sweater thing when I lived in Europe and the girls there had been wearing them for months which was almost 2 years ago. I'm still into it though, they can dress up a look, layer it up or dress it down. This one is definitely not for weak of heart. It is incredibly warm and soft and the quality is quite surprising. The print is bold to say the least and you are better pairing this off with neutrals and simple cuts. 

            I tried to find this look on the Macys website but it was no where to be found its by a brand called "John Paul Mitchell." There was a similar style on the web site but it was $35.00 and alas does not fit into my rules!  I'm not usually a big Macy's shopper but the Women's section has been spot on these days and the huge sale helps too.  Did I mention super cute Christmas Party perfect lace dresses from INC were almost all marked down 50 percent. Not too shabby.

Trend: Velvet

                                                    

                                                             Velvet Under $30
                                                             Goodwill Dress $5.99

              

The Inspiration

Via Stockholm Streetstyle

I'm trying to stay away from trends and rare finds from second hand stores but what can I say? Velvet is just my weakness. It's warm, its elegant, its casual, you know what? Its like 2 buck chuck, its dirt cheap and you feel kind of guilty buying it but it sure does go down easy (that's what she said).

The inspiration, Amelie from Stockholm Streetstyle pairs the darkness of Navy Velvet and the warmth of a brown leather belt perfectly. Its fancy without looking too night time. I decided to pair my thrifted look with a simple necklace I made from a handmade brass bracelet on a gold chain bought it Mexico City last winter, I wear this "necklace" almost everyday but its pretty simple and reminds me of Mexico City. 

The whole look is definitely under 10 bucks and like I said before I really want to stay away from thrift store finds because Second Hand store luck differs from person to person but I feel like velvet is so 90's that almost anyone can find something cute (if you're into that sort of thing) and velvet at Goodwill or Salvation Army. I've recently purchased some velvet leggings from Kohls which I will share in a later post...