Cleaning out my closet?

Hey everyone! I know I've been a little M.I.A., but I have been soo busy with work, side projects & the Holidays that I just haven't managed to find the time!! One of my New Year's resolutions is definitely going to be to keep up with my blog/Twitter/Facebook accounts better! :)

I wanted to take a break from talking about Lady Fleur and tell you about my Closet Sale idea! I had a MAJOR cleanup campaign last night and took out SO much clothes from my closet. Lots of them even still had tags!! Yikes! I always bring my clothes to Goodwill, but I feel like it's such a shame to let my nicer, hardly (if ever) worn clothes sell for 25 cents (mostly because I feel guilty that I paid for all this stuff and never even wore it)! We do have a place here called Plato's Closet that buys gently used, name brand clothing, but I've always had a bad experience with them! Even for new items with tags, they would try to offer me $3!! No sir! For that, I'd much rather give it away to someone that needs it. I've seen several other blogs do something like this and they seem to be pretty successful with it - I've even bought a dress from one before!

Just a few of the items I can think of off the top of my head are a pair of Abercrombie jeans I wore twice (literally), a beautiful black French Connection dress I wore maybe 3 times, lots of Ann Taylor, The Limited & Express tops (many with tags), and enough Forever 21 clothes to open a store! I was also thinking of getting rid of some purses/wallets, mostly Coach, if people were interested.

I was thinking that the easiest way to do it would be to post pictures of the items with a description, the original price I paid for them (or at least a close guesstimate,) and a suggested price, and let people contact me if they're interested! For payment, I would send out PayPal invoices so people can securely pay by credit card.

So what's your opinion of Blog Sales? Would you purchase something from me that you liked? Would a PayPal invoice and confirmed shipping make you feel confident enough to buy something from me, or is there a better way of going about it? Let me know! :)

Transition Pieces for Fall

Even though it is roughly 93 degrees here today, I have already started thinking about the fall! Here in the Deep South, we know fall is coming because there's a tropical depression in the Pacific and football season is right around the corner, but everywhere else in the country you can spot the impending season change at the stores who have begun bringing in their "transition" pieces. Let me tell you, I LOVE transition pieces! Mostly because they will actually become my winter pieces as well, since it doesn't get all that cold here - but also because they are so versatile and fun to play with! Mixing, matching, and finding new ways to incorporate these pieces can be like a fun little game every morning from here until the cold sets in! So here are some of my favorite new transition pieces and fall trends I've spotted - as always, let me know what you think!

1. The Stitched Bomber Jacket from Charlotte Russe ($32.99) would be a perfect transitional jacket to throw over any top as the evenings get cooler. Comes in Matte Faux Leather in Brown with a mock neck and 3/4 sleeves. So cute!

2. Throw that Bomber Jacket over a cute sleeveless top in jewel toned colors or patterns, like this Chain Strap Top for only $17.80 at Forever21!

3. Strappy caged heels are the perfect sexy way to transition your footwear into fall! Check out these great Python Gladiator Platforms at Charlotte Russe for $32.99

4. & 5. A skinny belt in a fun, eye catching color is a great way to hold an open cardigan together! Try this awesome Pleat Trim Sweater Cardigan in Black or Coral from Forever21 for $24.80 paired with this Teal belt on sale now at The Limited for only $9.99!

6. I think scarves are my absolute favorite accessory! Try one in bold, bright colors worn over a solid top to keep the summer alive a little longer! Here's a great Bold Paisley Scarf for $8.80 at Forever21

Bargain Huntin'

Ladies, listen up! I found a great new website last week called Celebrity Looks for Less that's a must-bookmark for any girl who's a fashionista at heart but doesn't have the pocketbook for it. It inspired me to do some of my own bargain fashion hunting, so I've been online shopping for a few days now. Quick fact about me: I'm a compulsive buyer! To curb my shopping appetite, I often trick myself out of buying things by doing a little something I call "faux shopping." This is a little crazy, but bear with me - I'll spend some time browsing the website and adding items liberally to my shopping cart, but when I'm done I'll click out of the website instead of hitting the checkout button. It may sound a little nutso, but it works! Too many times have I cleaned out my closet only to find several items with tags still on them that I've forgotten about because I just picked them up out of impulse. However, I broke my no-real-shopping rule yesterday and went to the mall in search of some jean shorts and cute sandals for my beach trip this weekend. I remembered all the cute things from Charlotte Russe on Celebrity Looks, so I decided to stop in. I'll be honest with you - in the past I have not been a big fan of C.R. I found most of their fabrics to be pretty low quality and the items I would buy would not last more than a few washes. I am all for a bargain, but I'd rather spend a little more on a quality item than waste money on something that will fall apart! But don't rule them out just yet - I think they have turned over a new leaf! Let me tell you, I was really impressed with their new merchandise. They have some great new looks, awesome shoes, and the material seems to have vastly improved. They are definitely worth a second look! Here's some of my favorite finds and check back soon for more:


I had to have this Floral Flutter Top because it was oh-so soft and silky to the touch and has some great colors in it (I even see hints of Purple & Gold, so I may even be able to pull it off for LSU Football Season!) - great for day or night wear:



Almost bought this adorable Satin Floral Shift, but was turned off that it wasn't lined and was 100% polyester (sorry, I'm picky) - otherwise I loved the pattern and the black zipper down the back almost made me forget about the plethora o' polyester. I went back and forth on this one and am still thinking about it, so I may just have to go back for it:



And wouldn't these Strappy Booties look great with that dress?? So sassy!

Rompin' around

So, the one fashion trend I said I would never ever cave to is The Romper. I thought, how could this possibly be cute/sexy/stylish in any way or in any situation?? I had these when I was 9. Some had bad floral patterns that allowed me to seamlessly blend in with my grandmother's curtains. I had one that came with a cream crochet dress to wear over it, and I often accessorized it with a choker and jelly flats. Seriously. There is absolutely nothing fashionable about this!

But then...I started seeing them on the streets. Some were as hideous as I had imagined.... but some were kind of cute. They just started to look so COMFORTABLE and effortless... And then one day, I saw one labeled as a bathing suit coverup at a department store. It was made of a light jersey material in turquoise and it had a shirred tube top with pretty brightly colored embroidery across the top. And it was on clearance. I thought, hmmm... could this be a possible loophole to my no-rompers-ever rule?? So I tried it on. And I kind of liked it. I actually really liked it, but I didn't buy it because I felt bad about how much I had trashed them!! Now, I'm really regretting it and have been frantically scouring the internet for the perfect romper, which I think I just found at Net-A-Porter:





This Shay Todd white cotton romper would be PERFECT as a bathing suit cover-up, and could even be re-purposed for an afternoon on the town. What more could you want?? So what's your verdict on rompers - fun or fug?