Fashionably Broke Bloggers

with every season change, my shopping habits get a bit more out of control than the usual semi-controlled spending throughout the rest of the year. but I must say, i am very impressed and proud of the bargain shopping i have been doing these days!  so, this is what's happening ~ welcome to the very first edition of 'Fashionably Broke Bloggers.'  this is where we invited fellow bloggers, hopefully some that are new to your daily blog reads, to share the recent steals and deals they've found throughout their style "research" (the blogger's better term for "shopping") all under $50.  

we know some great girls, and these girls just so happen to know the best fashionable steals and deals in town on the web.  i held them down they were so happy to share these with YOU, and we are too!  a big thank you to the ladies behind the first post of many to come! and if any of you have any recent steals and deals you better please share them with us as well! 

1. Old Navy Pleated Printed Maxi Dress $44 - by Morgan of Reidmore, who is all about the Maxi's this season.

2. Old Navy Lightweight Dolman-Tab Sleeved Shirts $26 - by Alison of Chain Strap Purse as she says, "so perfect for spring, to pair with white jeans!"  And if you read her blog more than once you would know how her biggest hobby is bargain shopping at Old Navy. 

3. Topshop Quilted Leather Corner Purse  $32 - Ashley of Ashley in DC, her style sense combined with her abilty to hunt down great prices is a true talent. 

4. Zara Basic Sandal $50 - my pick! (and yes I now own them, obviously!)  I say, if you find anything on Zara under $50, just buy it.

5. Forever21 Long Collar Blazer $29 - by Sara of High Fashion 4 Less, this is her most recent and favorite purchase, also seen here on Julie of Sincerely Jules.

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denim shirt layering

i love me a good pair of taupe shoes, go with everything.

whenever i feel that an outfit is a bit incomplete or lost, my go-to trick to solve this fashionista's nightmare is to layer it up with a denim shirt.  okay, i lied.  most of the time, i just have my boyfriend take a bunch of pictures of me so that i can see how the outfit looks on screen and proceed to change until i like it.  god bless his heart.  but in all seriousness, my mom snagged me this shirt last year at the J.Crew Outlet, and I hadn't had much use out of it until recently.  bloggers style experts like Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere, Leandra The Man Repeller, and Blaire of Atlantic-Pacific have all made me a true believer of what a denim shirt can do for you!  was that dramatic? i don't care.  i love them and my boring outfits thanks me for wearing them.  now, i need more!  my next denim shirt purchase will be this light denim, fun-ness by Lucky Brand.  

J.CREW BUTTON DOWN DENIM SHIRT (similar) and STRIPED SHIRT, CARGO SKINNYS (random), 

STELLA & DOT JEWLRY and WAVERLY THREE WAY BAG, MIA PUMPS, AND BETSY JOHNSON SUNGLASSES

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festival attire

for all of you music festival junkies, it's that time of the year again to get weird.  not only do i love summer music festivals because of great line-up's and because of what an amazing experience it is just in general, but because it's one of those times where everyone just feels so free to fashionably express themselves in what i like to call "festival attire."  so here is a little bit of outfit inspiration for those attending any of the many upcoming music festivals (see below) over these next few weeks.  the hot weather usually permits for festival attire that is loose, flowly, or lack-there-of clothing. 

current favorite festival fashion trends: bright floral patterns, crochet and fringe (last seen here), the always comfortable maxi dresses and skirts, tie dye (perferably DIY), and fabulous head pieces.  pair any of these with a great pair of ankle boots or leather sandals and a big floppy backpack and you're ready to jam. 

1. Topshop Floral Print Corset $60

Mango Pleated Maxi Skirt $70

Dannijo Benj Bracelets $263

2. Alloy Geo Fringe Shirt $25

Threadsence Twisted Belt $17

Topshop Flamingo Tie Dye Hotshorts $68 

Madewell Neon Sandals $175

Republic Aviator Sunglasses $13

3. Topshop Metal Drape Headband $28

Pull&Bear Crochet Dress $30

MIA Tawannah Ankle Boot $80 

Upcoming 2012 Music Festivals:

Ultra Music Festival (Miami, Florida) starts today March 23rd

Coachella (California) April 13th

Sweetgreen's Sweetlife Festival (Maryland) April 28th

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a cherry blossom tree {&& me}

every April, Wes & I head downtown for the Washington DC Annual Cherry Blossom Festival (see last year's visit here).  the cherry blossoms bloomed early in 2012 and they are covering the streets of our neighborhood.  which is why this year, we didn't really even need to leave our backyard to appreciate the traditional blossoming <<insert a sigh of relief from the boyfriend here>>.   so instead, we decided to chase around food trucks all day (?).  i wasn't mad about it though, the crowded metro ride to last year's festival was less than a good time.  

now that's enough tree-talk.  on a more fashion related note, i recently took on my annual spring cleaning adventure (yes, it was quite an adventure) and i unpacked my summer shorts, skirts and sandals. The Triple S!   drowning in piles of clothes i will probably never wear again, i found this vintage crop top with a great aztec style print, which i almost forgot that i had (not cool).  adhering to it's midwestern aesthetic, i paired this navy, cropped fun-ness with some turquoise ~ a Stella & Dot statement necklace and a pretty sweet new summer accessory; a wire headpiece ~ this is where i must give a big shout out to Nicole Richie for inspiring me with your wardrobe on last week's episode of Fashion Star, to Scion for their bottomless mimosa brunch that morning which gave me a little extra liquid courage to purchase it, and to Free People for adding a bit of boho-chic to my outfit on sale for $9.95.

so - have you taken the plunge and unpacked the summer clothes yet? what goodies did you find that you forgot about?  because that's totally the best part!  

VINTAGE CROP TOP, H&M EYELET SHORTS, BAKERS SHOES, BETSY JOHNSON CIRCLE RIM SUNGLASSES, STELLA & DOT MARCHESA/VINTAGE NECKLACES, FREE PEOPLE WIRE & FEATHER HEADPIECE, & FRINGE BAG UNKNOWN (from DSW)

a little something extra ... {Flower embracing the Cherry Blossoms and their funky smell}

i will be posting more of my Cherry Blossoms photography on our facebook page later today as well! xo

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3 Way Style Challenge Entry

Hey guys!  Erika and I have taken part in this month's La Petite Marmoset's 3 Way Style Challege, "Sister, Sister."  We would love all of you to check out how we styled two amazing peices from the LPM Vintage Etsy Store and then visit our picture on facebook {here}to vote for us!  All you have to do is click Like ~ it's that easy!  Also, we would love to hear what you think of our outfits, so comment away! :) XO

{photos via LPM}

{I am wearing: LPM Blouse, Thrifted Pants, Zara Heels, and Stella & Dot Necklace/Bracelet, Joujou Leather Jacket}

{Erika is wearing: Forever21 Romper, as a shirt, LPM Shorts, Steve Madden Shoes, Nasty Gal Fur Coat, Versace for H&M Belt, Michael Kors Watch, Christina M Boutique Bracelet}

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{Giveaway} Christina M. Boutique: Who Won!

congratulations to Brittany (@ahunterswife18) and Ashlyn (@loveeashlyn) as the winners of the Shop Christina M. Boutique Giveaway!  this giveaway was so much fun, I wish I could give all of you awesome chicks a prize!  I will definitely be doing more of these, be sure to check back in for another chance win!

Brittany and Ashlyn - please send me an email at natcpin@gmail.com with your mailing address and which color Emily Bracelet you would like to have sent to you. 

thanks again to all of the lovely ladies who entered! xo

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links + spikes

maybe i should just turn my blog in to a full on blog about jewelry accessorizing?

i just love a good wrap dress, and if you haven't shopped Nasty Gal yet, then you must get on the cool girl train and do so.  they offer such a range of unique, free-spirited designers, like my man Jeffrey Campbell, and also carry masses of awesome vintage peices, which is always a good time.  i naturally had to complement this bright and girly magenta, wrap dress with some bad ass accessorizing.  leather, leather, and some more leather accented by bits of gold and spikes.  ever since i intentionally dyed my roots brown, i'm feeling a bit more bad ass myself these days.  no one in my office understands why i would do such a thing, thus making it that much more enjoyable to me; such a rebel (well, my necklace is ironically called the "Rebel Pendant," pun anyone?).

NASTY GAL DRESS (similar), JOUJOU LEATHER MOTO JACKET, STEVE MADDEN BOOTIES, CHRISTINA M BOUTIQUE ORANGE EMILY BRACELET (enter here to win one!), STELLA & DOT NECKALCES, & JEWEL MINT SABER TOOTH RING 

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Last Call: a faux fur vest

fur season seems to be quickly diminishing, so i have to take advantage of it as much as i can.  i wore this outfit last weekend on a cool, breezy day spent out in Middleburg.  i toned the look of this vest down this time around by pairing it with a super casual, stripped tee, as opposed to the usual fancy, sheer blouses that i am typically drawn towards when styling my furs.  have i ever told the story of this vest?  my grandma, being her usual stylish self, had this vest on one day.  i literally tried to trade her everything i had on for it, but she wasn't budging.  so, being as awesome as she is, she surprised me with it this past Christmas.  she ordered Nordstrom to have this little guy (the last small they carried) shipped all the way over from Cali.  see how fashion can really bring a family together?  maybe it's just our family, but we love it.   

 LOFT SKINNY JEANS (EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE),

STELLA & DOT SIGNATURE CLOVER NECKLACE AND OTHER JEWLERY (OBVI),

STELLA & DOT WAVERLY THREE WAY BAG,

NORDSTROM VEST, & STEVE MADDEN BOOTS (OLD)

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{Giveaway} Hosted by Christina M. Boutique

This week Christina M. Boutique is hosting our first giveaway (how exciting)!  Christina will be giving away, not one, but two of her Emily Bracelets to two of my fabulous readers! This amazing New York based designer has got me hooked on all of her handmade, chain link accessories, and I know you guys will love them too!  As a winner, you will get the Emily Bracelet in the color of your choice. How awesome is that? 


Incase you don't follow me on Instagram yet , and you may have missed me sporting the Emily Bracelet in mint last week ...

@fashionablybrokegirl

So, good luck ladies, and here is how to enter:


1. Like Christina M Boutique and Fashionably Broke on Facebook!
2. Follow Christina M Boutique and Fashionably Broke on Twitter!
3. Comment with your name, email address, twitter, and which Emily Bracelet color is your fave!


xo,
Natalie and Erika
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spring essentials

Erika is been cheery, bright, and ready to embrace the warmer weather and sunny days of spring to come, and i think it really shows by her outfit choices lately.  the open-toe wedges have been officially unpacked and a selection of stylish Stella & Dot Spring Collection pieces have been purchased.  then, a few good articles of spring clothing is all that was left needed.  Loft, being exceptionally colorful these days, had this pencil skirt hanging out on the rack next to a bright, coral red blouse, immediately making me think of a super cute blazer that i recently purchased from Nordstrom Rack in the same color.  this made me feel even better about purchasing the skirt because i already have the goods to go with it!  

this is how we save money ladies, think of what you already own when making new purchases.  everything in this outfit can be used for work and play as well. dual purposed items are always a great buy in my book.  so how did this outfit end up on Erika do you ask?  well, she stayed with me for the weekend, she tried it on for fun, and the rest is history.  this blue and green, snakeskin print skirt seemed as though it was made for her body.  so, that is how this amazingly colorful, spring outfit came about!  what kinds of spring clothing and accessories are you eyeing this season?

{LOFT PENCIL SKIRT, LOFT TANK (on sale 2 for $20), BLAZER,

STELLA & DOT SERENITY NECKLACE / FELICITY HOOPS,

SEPHORA RED LIP STAIN, SAM EDELMAN JAVI WEDGE, THRIFTED PURSE}

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DC Fashion Week: Part II

last sunday was spent brunching followed by a mad dash home for a quick outfit change followed by the DC Fashion Week grande finale at the French Embassy, phew.  the show featuring International Couture Collections from all over the world was the closing to a week of high fashion in DC.  for one night only, the French Embassy was filled with not only diplomats, but models, stylists, fashionistas, amazing handbags, and heels higher than I'm sure they are used to.  Erika & I were most excited by the designer for the Nigerian label House of Nwocha, Ugonna Omerus (pictured above), who brightened up the runway with pops, to say the least, of color and stylish prints galore.  i wouldn't be surprised if you catch me in one of her girly looks (hopefully) sometime soon, preferably those amazing high waisted, cosmic print pants (just saying, Ugonna).  it was like a super cheap and convenient trip around the world.  and we found that, of all of the places we "visited," we could probably live in Africa and fit right in.  i wonder what kinds of international inspiration you have in your wardrobes? I bet, more than you think!  

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