Pyrrhic#Pastiche#Pop

After many months of preparation, the team of PowernSoulPro is ready to showcase the 6th Annual charity fashion show to benefit the Center for Women in Transition in Champaign-Urbana. 

This Saturday, you have the opportunity to immerse yourself in fashion.  The show will include a mash-up of everything from tribal edgy prints & textures to 70s bohemian, romantic florals and polished prep. Vendors from all over Central Illinois have donated pieces and product to help make the show come together. We have vintage inspiration with a new twist.

I was able to do some of the Public Relations for the show (writing the radio commercial script and the press release) as well as doing some of the styling. I'll be behind the scenes during the show, to help dress and style my team of models.

The fashion show takes place at the Orpheum Children's Museum in downtown Champaign. Doors open at 6:30//show starts at 7:30. Tickets are $25

Come out to show your support to the community and to see a great show. <3 
For more info: www.powernsoul.com

Be Free, People!

Free People is doing something right b/c I'm definitely inspired & cannot wait for it to warm up so I can sport some similar styles from my closet. Can't get enough of the naturally beautiful bohemian. Love these organic looking fabrics and styles. Makes me want to go to the thrift store and rummage around for some awesome pieces to get creative with! Love, love, love it all.

WHOA!

This. Is. Amazing.
(It isn't so thrifty, but I just HAD to post it. Maybe I'll try to duplicate it)

Amore!

 

Anthropologie. 'Nuff said.....

Today I wore....

4/20/11
I've been embracing the Native American influence these past two days. Yesterday I wore black Minnetonka Moccasin boots with fringe and some large circular (heavy) turquoise earrings. I think its best to offset some of the bold additions of your outfit with more low-key pieces. Although i chose to wear the boots and earrings, I also wore dark denim jeggings with a plain grey t-shirt. It was a nice balance.

Today.......
Mustard yellow top from Urban Outfitters--$10
Amazing genuine turquoise necklace from Banana Republic--On sale for $29
(Not pictured)
Medium wash denim skinnies--Gap; $30
Camel colored leather belt w/ bronze "vintage" stud embellishment--Gap; $8
Slate grey TOMS shoes--$44.

A few of my favorite things.....

I wasn't able to post anything last night....so I figured I'd make up for it by giving you all a sneak peek into my closet. I wanted to share a few of my faves and see what you think. My style ranges from edgy tribal bohemian-esque...to pretty vintage w/ lace and frills. I really like mixing things together and seeing what I can come up with. I wear what I like. Form AND function are very important--so make sure you're comfortable in what you're wearing and that it makes you feel good. Style is what you want it to be--its a direct reflection of your personality. I love wearing bright colors and bold prints, but I also love the purity of neutral tones as well. Here is some insight into all of that ;) 

 Yeah, yeah i know. It looks like a lot.........its really not that much.

 I adore jewelry! Some of my favorite outfits have been based around a necklace. Crazy, but true.

 Some of my favorite scarves:
Tribal print from F21--$7
Blue & purple leopard print from Gap--retails at $29; i got for $15 
Neutral toned print infinity scarf from Urban Outfitters--$34
Silk printed scarf from Banana Republic--retails at $60, i got for $30

 This top is fabulous! I got it around my birthday (& wore it out for my birthday w/ some dark denim skinnies, black peep-toe gladiator heels & gold hoop earrings.)
Its from Anthropologie & retails for $198. I got it for $10. Yeah, you read right....ten dollars. Did I mention its 100% silk?! Yep ;)

 I have yet to wear this adorable top. I love the vintage feel of it! Its by Nick & Moe & I got it at Jennifer North boutique....for $5. It was so cheap b/c the bottom button (as you can probably see here) was broken in half. It was a STEAL! It came w/ extra buttons :)

 Heavy & hand-knit. I fell in love with this top as soon as I saw it! Banana Republic; it retails for $89; I got it half off :)

 This is quite possibly the most amazing sweater I have ever owned. I saw it at Urban Outfitters and fell head over heels in love! I love the tribal/Aztec print. Its cute & cozy...and I get so many compliments when I wear it b/c its pretty unique. I usually don't pay full price for items unless I absolutely cannot live without them--or have been drooling over them for some time. This sweater was $68. Worth every.penny.

 Also from Urban Outfitters, this adorable Kimchi & Blue dress is flattering & I love the wooden buttons down the side of the rib-cage. Its really cute belted! I think I actually got this dress at Plato's Closet for like, $12. It probably retailed for around $45.

 Urban Outfitters tank (see a trend here? One of my favorite stores!!) This top is AMAZING! Its heavy from the hand-beaded design and looks great on. It was originally around $68 I think, I got it for $29 last summer. It was the only one & just happened to be my size!

 These Steve Madden sandals were a gift from my dad <3 I picked them out though & got a great deal! $25 at TJ Maxx!

 The infamous Michael Kors "boyfriend" watch. Most fashion-conscious girls that I know either already have one or they want one! These retail at major department stores and online for $225.......mine (w/ tax) was only $65. Hallelujah!

 My first major purchase when I started working at Banana Republic over a year ago was this amazing camel colored leather "motorcycle" jacket. It retailed for $300......I got it for half the price. I wear it all the time and absolutely adore it!

 Summer is on its way. You better believe I'm going to be sporting this fedora with some great sunglasses & my swimsuit on the side of the pool ;) Can't wait!! 
Banana Republic--retails for $40; I got it for $20.

Last but certainly not least....this bad boy really doesn't need an introduction. My pride & joy of any handbags I own is my "Totally Turnlock" Marc Jacobs cross-body bag in the "wild mushroom" color. I have wanted this bag for probably 4 years now. Its not cheap, and I'm not the type of girl to get crazy about designer handbags, but I really did want this one for forever....so finally this December, I went for it.

Smooth It Over.

I have naturally curly hair, thus making it naturally dry and coarse. When you pair that combination with a blow dryer, a flat iron, AND a curling iron.......well, that's a lot of damage to your hair.

My go-to shampoo & conditioner that I use to replenish moisture and create healthier locks is the Joico K-Pak. Its amazing--Hey! even Kourtney Kardashian raves about it! Its PH balanced to the same level as your hair and nails, therefore it doesn't add any additional junk to your strands, and it doesn't strip them either. The K-Pak comes with shampoo, conditioner, and an intense leave-in conditioning Re-constructor (that's the money, right there!) After using the K-Pak just once, I could definitely tell a difference! It has added moisture to my hair, made it silkier, repaired previous damage, and protects it from further damage. 
 To be honest, I'm not exactly sure how much this set of the Joico K-Pak retails for b/c I get the hookup from someone in the hair/beauty industry ;) I got all 3 for only $20!

 

Once out of the shower, while my hair is still wet....I add some Moroccan Oil, or as I like to call it, my liquid gold. It helps protect my hair while I blow-dry, straighten, and style. I also smooth some oil through the ends of my hair once its dry to give it a nice silky look and feel. I have been using Moroccan Oil since June of 2009 & haven't stopped. I have never, in my life, tried a product that transformed my hair the way this has. And believe me, I've tried a lot. I will probably continue to use Moroccan Oil until they stop making it. Its. THAT.GOOD. 
Usually only select higher-end salons carry Moroccan Oil products. The bottle I get retails for around $40, which seems a bit pricey--but it usually lasts me for well over 6 months. 

Fashion Inspiration-ista....

There are only a few people in Hollywood whose style I absolutely adore. My hat goes off to the stylist of Gossip Girl. I am in love with everything that Blake Lively wears in the show. Every. single. thing. 
With that said, I was a bit confused when I was at my local Border's and decided to thumb through GG stylist, Eric Daman's latest style book, "You Know You Want It: Style, Inspiration, Confidence."  Most of the "tips" he gave, I either already knew or would never choose to do!  All of the looks that were pieced together were very blah & ho-hum. Needless to say, this book wasn't parallel to the work produced on the show & definitely didn't give it justice! I flipped through the entire thing in about 20-30 minutes.....it wasn't worth purchasing :/

BUT! Blake is still flawless.....on-screen...off-screen.....always!

.....ok, so not a lot of fashion goin' on here. The bag is cute, but the kiss is cuter ;)

 Amazing! If I were still in high school, you better believe I would find a seamstress to make this as my prom dress! A bit much?? Nahhhhh ;)

Wedges, Sandals, & Boots...Oh My!

So....any of my Facebook friends who may be following this blog have probably already seen these next few pictures, because I've posted them on Facebook in the past. Well, they shouldn't get neglected....afterall, they're some pretty amazing treasures!

 These are the amazing olive leather Franco Sarto wedges I found about a month or two ago at TJ Maxx for $39. I believe they retail around $80 or so. They're gorgeous! I've worn them once & can't wait til it warms up so I can bust 'em out & break 'em in ;)

                                 
 So remember how I said I wanted to "break in" those wedges above...yeah, well...if you look closely, you can see two very sad blisters in the middle of their healing process on my feet here. But...that's besides the point! These beauties are metallic, genuine leather, Bottega Veneta sandals! Made in Brazil.....but they somehow made their way to some upscale thrift/re-sale shop in Indy....then home with ME ;)
They retail anywhere from around $475-$700.....I got them for $25!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm in love with them. They were meant for my feet :D

  Although we're approaching the warmer seasons, that doesn't mean that you can't snag a great deal on some boots for next fall/winter season! (Or if you're traveling to a cooler climate anytime soon, these are ideal ;) 
These faux suede taupe/brown boots were brand.new. They're Mossimo brand from Target, and I found them at a GoodWill store for $5.99! Probably retailed for around $30 or so in-store. 

Today I found.......

I really like the whole "button-down, tucked-in" menswear look . This top was a great find! I got it today at the Gap for only $10. Yes, $10. (That is the price w/o an employee discount) It retailed originally for $59.95. I saw it about a month ago & liked it, but didn't try it on. There was a promotion that started, and the cheap price prompted me to give it a whirl. In the dressing room, I fell in love.

                          



Its an olive tone, but its got a satin sheen to it....this top w/ some dark denim jeans & a vintage-esque belt really pulls the look together. I also like to add some edgy pieces to an outfit like an over-sized boyfriend watch & some leather studded wrap bracelets on one wrist. Hello tomorrow's outfit! ;)


[Other details of this outfit]:
denim skinnies from Forever 21--I got them at Salvation Army for $5
genuine leather belt--Banana Republic; retails for $44 (employee discount 50% off)
boyfriend watch--American Eagle $25
sterling silver pinky ring--Birthday gift from my momma ;)
gold boutique necklace--Christmas gift from Meliss <3 (I wear this every day!) 
sterling silver Elsa Peretti aqua-marine birthstone bracelet from Tiffany's--gift.
Gorgiana real gold "M" initial bracelet--Bella Mia boutique; on sale for $37
sterling silver Tiffany & Co. NYC address script ring--gift.
3 real gold w/ genuine rose-cut quartz rings from Findings Boutique--on sale; around $65 total for all three (shout out to Ali !) I NEVER take these rings off!!

.....The Verdict is in!

After posting photo after photo of exciting treasures that I seem to stumble upon almost weekly (if not daily)...and seeing the amount of interest I've gained from my Facebook friends, I decided to start a blog. THIS blog :) Basically, I figured that I'd give myself a creative outlet to share what I find, what I think is fashionable, how you can find these things too.... & rock 'em with confidence! This is what I do every day at work, so I figure, why not do it in my free time. I enjoy it, I'm passionate about it, and others seem to be interested in what I do, so hey! Being fashionable doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune--and oddly enough, the things some spend a fortune on, you too can find for a fraction of the price in the most common & un-suspecting places.......you just have to be willing to search ;)

I also want to add some of my (always growing) knowledge on beauty & hair products....as well as health & fitness, food, travel & every day things in life that seem to put a smile on my face.