walking vacation

Photos by Cheralee

Wearing: Lord & Taylor 424 Fifth Skirt (on sale!), Sole Society Shoes c/o (on sale!), Sole Society Bag c/o, Ray-Ban Sunglasses

No, I didn't turn my clutch in to a skirt, I just bought two things in the same print because I just loved it that much! I discovered 424 Fifth, the maker of my new skirt and clutch, when Tammy and I hosted a summer sandals fashion show at Lord & Taylor last month. 424 Fifth is a Lord & Taylor brand that finds the right mix of polished and cool. Created for the 9-5 girl, who has a not-so-conservative office dress code, the collection is filled with pieces that can carry you from work to play. I'm thinking this skirt could be fabulous at the office with a light sweater and pumps as the temperature cools down. I can guarantee you'll see 424 Fifth become more of a regular sighting on this blog.

Now, let's talk accessories! Sole Society is another regular around here and if you haven't visited their site yet, then you're missing out. Their quality and styles are the best and we find ourselves picking up new styles more often than our wallets would like to admit. To spread the love, we've teamed up with Sole Society for a really fun giveaway so that you can see just what we're talking about. It's super easy to enter and it's all about you and a friend winning, so good luck!

Sole Society Giveaway: 1 Pair of Shoes + 1 Handbag, Winners' choice!

Official Rules: Prizes do not include Bestie Brands, only Sole Society styles. First winner will get to choose which prize they would like to claim, handbag or shoes. Giveaway ends July 31st.

To enter, complete as many of the below entries as you would like:

1. "Like" The Fashionably Broke on Facebook and tag a friend in the comments section

2. Follow @NatalieandErika on Twitter and share a link to the giveaway with a friend
Example Tweet: "I just entered @NatalieandErika's @SoleSociety Giveaway, you should too @tagafriendhere! http://bit.ly/1rOYuy3"

3. Follow @TheFashionablyBroke on Instagram and tag a friend in the comments section

Pineapples For The Win

Because your phone needs to look good too, right?

Wearing: Lahaina Purple and Beverly Hills Sonix iPhone Cases c/o, Free People Dress c/o, Alex & Ani Bracelets

If you're looking for cute tech accessories for your GalaxyS5, iPhone or iPad, meet Sonix. A new brand we recently discovered, they specialize in meeting fashion with function, which you know we love. Their iPhone cases have dual layers for extra protection; a rubber case and a hard shell. If you're like me Erika, you will really love the raised rubber edges which protect your screen from any damage if when you drop it (love ya, Sista!). But the best part is, they are a totally trend conscious brand, always coming up with the cutest designs, so you never have to worry about your phone or tablet going out of style. Case and point: The Lahania Purple and Beverly Hills iPhone cases. What's hotter than pineapples and palm print this summer? Oh, yeah...Nothing! Don't worry, if you're more of a white and gold stripes kind of gal, they've got you covered too. :)

Earring Game

photos by Tammy

Wearing: Target Tee, AEO Jeans, T.J.Maxx Shoes, 424 Fifth Clutch, Ray-Ban Sunglasses, Les Nereides Earrings c/o

Last week my friend Haya and I were talking about how we love earrings but didn't like how they looked on us. I'm more of a bracelet and ring kind of girl. And we both agreed we always end up feeling like they're just "too much." But, when I got these amazing statement earrings from Les Nereides, I knew exactly how I wanted to wear them; dressed down, of course, with baggy jeans, a relaxed tee and heels. I took off my necklaces, and let my hair air dry that day as well, because I really wanted things to stay simple and casual, even with such a large and brightly colored earring. This look would have been really cute with a pony tail too, I think I'll try that next time. This is why I always say, don't rule anything out from your wardrobe or style. Dressing is really a science, you just have to find that magical equation that your comfortable with and then stick with it.

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is one of the best sales of the year. Being able to shop the newest styles for the upcoming season seems so backwards, but we can't get enough of it. I went in to the Nordstrom at Pentagon City last week for a special sneak peek and left with a coat and sweaters in the midst of summer that I'm already dreaming of wearing (Nordstrom cardholders get to shop the Anniversary Sale first every year, so if you aren't a member already, we urge you to sign up here). The sale can also be a bit overwhelming, so many good prices in one place, so we put together this post to help you navigate through all of the fun stress free.

The images above are of our top twelve favorites from the sale, listing some of the items we got, and then below we've listed more options from different categories. Both the above and below lists, you can click through to shop directly from this post to the Nordstrom site, so we hope this makes it super easy for you. Also, be sure to share your best finds using #NSale on Instagram or Twitter. Happy Shopping! :)

Tops:

Sweaters:

Jeans:

Handbags:

Shoes:

Accessories:

Beauty:

Skirts & Dresses:

Coats & Jackets:

Active Wear:

Settled

As we approach the second year mark in our new home, I can't help but celebrate the little things that come with owning your own home. Full disclosure, I don't own our home in any way, my boyfriend does, but it's thanks to him that I get to reap the benefits of owning too. Besides the obvious financial advantages that come along with it, I really enjoy things like not having to look for a new place to live every 12 months, or worrying about my rent going up, or begging the property management to not charge me a million dollars to own two, small dogs that more resemble squirrels. And it's thanks to my mister that we can really settle and there's something to be said for that.

Renting versus owning means freedom. Freedom to paint the walls, knock one down if you want to, take your time shopping for furniture, building your own personal style and making your home feel like your home. We've been decorating (and redecorating) and renovating since the day we moved in it seems. But, I love it! It's a fun thing that we can do together and I've enjoyed making our house a home every (tiresome, grueling) step of the way. Also, the comfort of knowing we have that home stuff taken care of has really given me the confidence and extra push to focus on things like this blog and even recently making a big career change. It's helped me to grow too, by learning how to take care of a home. I'm finally able to put all of the good "first-home" tips my family gave me along the way to good use.

Our open-style kitchen was what sealed the deal for us. The previous owner knocked down a wall and left us with a neutral pallet to work with, which was ahhh-mazing. It's also helped me to actually enjoy cooking now!

Our living room looks completely different now, but this was right after we pulled up all of the carpeting and my handy-dandy boyfriend installed black, laminate flooring throughout the whole house! He did a great job, and wow was that a mess. We also painted the living room a really great color that I know we'll love for years to come; Revere Pewter from Benjamin Moore.

I love to entertain now! Not having to pack up dishware every twelve months has helped me take the plunge and start buying adult-like things, such as large platters and every type of cocktail glass there is.

We're planning to re-do our closets soon with installed organization, but for now I'm enjoying buying small things like shoe bins and velvet hangers to make my closet a clean and organized space that I enjoy seeing every day.

Flower Pot is happy too, because now she doesn't have to pay pet rent and can just lounge all day long. :)

Maybe one day we can share my boyfriend's best tips for saving to own your home by the age of 26, since I can't really help you with that. Holler at me if you need help deciding which shoes to buy though! Spoiler: I'll probably say both. But I'm so glad I teamed up with State Farm to reflect back on those who have helped me a long the way. It's reminded me how happy and grateful I am for having that cute boyfriend of mine and for his hard work that's undoubtedly helped us get us to where we are today.

Like a good neighbor State Farm is there.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by State Farm via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of State Farm.