It's casual, not heartbreaking

When I rolled out of bed yesterday I hardly had the energy to put together an outfit, let alone put on heels! Some people can be super dressed up everyday, but let me tell you, I'm not one of those girls. There's nothing wrong with keeping it casual, but no one said that has to mean sloppy. In my opinion, there are two main ways to keep your casual outfits looking cute: color and accessories.

For a lazy day like yesterday, this is the kind of thing you'll usually find me in. Skinnies, a tee, a cardi, and some sweet jewelry. This purple cardigan is one of my favorites simply because the color is so vibrant! It definitely gives a bit of energy to the whole get-up, much more than if I had just thrown on a black cardi or blazer. It also toned down the tie-dye thing I've got going on this t-shirt, though the grey palette keeps the tie-dye from being too...woodstock?

I want to talk about these skinny jeans really quick. I picked these up from Faith 21 a few weeks ago for SUPER cheap. I got the 18 because they fit well on my thighs and hips, even though they were a teensy bit loose in the waist. After a day of wear, it felt like there had been a party in my pants because the waist had magically become practically two sizes too big!! Now, I'm no seamstress, but putting darts in a waistband is nothing I've never done before. Some sewing skills later, my jeans fit once more :) Moral of the story is, make sure your waistband fits - but if the jeans are only $7 (I shit you not; that wasn't even on sale!), a little bit of DIY is ok!

Back to the outfit...These are some of my favorite pieces of jewelry, and it just so happened that the purple cardigan tied them all together. The necklace was another outlets steal, a Rachel Roy piece with a big toggle closure. The ring was my mom's, a gift from her uncle, but it had been sitting in her jewelry box for ages because the thin band snapped. I'd been eyeing it since I was a wee little tyke, so my parents finally got it fixed and resized for me :) I love this gold bangle too, the designs on it give it a vintage feel.

Top: Target (no longer available)
Cardigan: TJ Maxx
Jeans: Faith 21 (no longer available)
Flats: Preview via Nordstrom Rack
Necklace: Rachel Roy via Syms
Ring: Vintage
Bracelet: My sister's :)

What do you usually wear on a lazy, casual day?

50% off Clearance at Torrid

Thanks to Monique at Curves and Chaos for the heads up about  Torrid's 50% off Clearance sale!

I'm usually not a big fan of Torrid - I find their clothes a little young and way too expensive for what you're getting, but for $12 plus shipping, I couldn't pass up this sunny little beauty:

I love the ruffles on this! It'll look so cute under a cardigan/sweater/jacket.

Are you getting anything from Torrid's sale?

You ain't nothing but a houndstooth

My Lane Bryant houndstooth dress has been sitting in my closet taunting me ever since I ordered it in mid-October. I was holding off wearing it at first because I really wanted to pair it with the booties I was expecting from ASOS. When I got the sad news that my ASOS order was not coming (oh the lies!), I still refrained - my trusty peep toe pumps died after a crazy alumni weekend at my college, and I need a new pair of pumps to wear with the dress.

Enter the elusive ASOS package that arrived on Monday! As soon as I tore those booties out of the box I knew it was time to break out the dress as well. It was the moment I had been waiting for! And when it finally all came together, I was not disappointed in the least.

Now clearly, the dress is much better on me with the cardi. Without, it's a little WOAH BOOBS! But with the cardi, I LOVE this dress. The quality is great, I love the thick ponte fabric. The weight of the ponte plus the houndstooth pattern do a great job of camouflaging any lumps and bumps - I love how smooth my silhouette looks, especially in the skirt area. If there's one thing I would change with this dress, it'd be the neckline. I don't find the cowl neck to be the most flattering on me; I feel like my chest prevents it from draping as much as it would on a less endowed person. I replaced the skinny black belt it came with with an almost exact replica of my own, simply because mine is shorter and the tail doesn't stick out too much. If you're thinking of buying this dress, especially online, know that it runs a bit big - I'm usually in the 16-18 range, but this dress is a 14/16 and has room to spare.

The buttons on my cardi were gold so I took that and ran with it. While invading my mom's jewelry box, I found these "x" earrings and matching bracelet which I thought would be cute as they sort of mimic the houndstooth print. The watch was the same idea so I threw it on as well, though I can tell you I don't think I even glanced at it once for the time lol...I'm not really a watch person I guess.

And last but not least, the booties. OH, the booties!

I am beyond in love with these. If it was legal to marry a pair of shoes, we'll be on our honeymoon right now. These shoes made me feel fierce. FIERCE! The heel is soo sexy but still not bad at all to walk in due to the hidden platform. and the pointed toe is TO DIE FOR. I love how the fabric upper of the bootie blends with my tights and looks seamless; it makes my legs look long and lean. All in all, this outfit was a winner for me from head to toe. I got SO many compliments and felt great all day :) and that's what fashion's all about right??

Dress: Lane Bryant
Cardi: Mom's closet
Tights: Hue
Booties: ASOS (no longer available)
Jewelry: Mom's jewelry box...thanks mom!
Polish: Essie Limited Addiction

For some, the print on this dress might be a little loud, but if it's the silhouette you love, Lane Bryant also sells the same dress in black Ponte.

Fenn who?

TJ Maxx and I have come a long way in our relationship. At first we weren't friends - TJ was way too messy, way to complicated, and we didn't get along at all. In fact, I used to leave TJ frustrated and disappointed, vowing I'd never waste my time on him again.


Enter The Green E, who's had a long enduring love affair with TJ. Somehow, TJ always caters to her every need and seems to simply hand her the very best stuff he has. She convinced me; I decided that I'd give it another shot.

And I'm so glad I did. Things have gotten steamy lately with TJ. It's red hot love and I don't plan it to stop anytime soon.


This outfit features two of my latest purchases at TJ Maxx; This grey wool tie-blazer thingy, and black patent almond-toe pumps.


I am in love with this blazer/jacket/sweater creation. I felt very professional, but still chic when I wore this to work yesterday.  I love it because it has this great structure to it with seaming in the shoulder, yet it's still sort of business casual because of the fabric and the tie detail.

The name on the label is Fenn Wright Mason, which I'd never heard of. It turns out to be a relatively upscale label in the UK as far as I can tell, and this jacket probably retailed at somewhere in the $200 (£125) range. I picked it up for $40! I love a bargain :)
 I paired this with a basic black scoop neck tee and wide leg denim trousers. On my feet are the new pumps I mentioned. They're super comfy, and I love the almond toe, it's updated from the classic pointy pump. You can't see it in the picture below, but they also have a cone heel. Love!

Blazer: Fenn Wright Mason via TJ Maxx

Tee: TJ Maxx

Jeans: Target

Shoes: Unlisted

Bracelet: One Stop Plus

Necklace: Nordstrom Rack

Ring: New York & Company

So I was still feeling a little guilty about the whole ASOS thing today so I asked my mom what I should do. After I reassured her that they gave me the refund long before I got my package, she shrugged, gave me a high five and told me I lucked out. Mom's word is law! I'll happily wear my new booties with a clear conscience :)

Holy Crap!

Holy crap guys, you will never guess what happened to me!!!! I must have been visited by the fashion gods because yesterday, six days after I got a my refund, my ASOS order came in the mail!!!!! I couldn't believe it!!

What's a girl supposed to do now? Contact ASOS and tell them I FINALLY, after a month, got my order? I hardly think they'd try to tell me to give them the money back. A month is a shameful amount of time to wait for a package, even one from overseas. Do you think I should tell them?

Giveaway at Finally Accepting All of Me

Hey guys! The lovely Michaniya over at Finally Accepting All of Me is hosting a giveaway! The prize is a mystery, so go enter and be ready to be surprised :)

Booooooooots

These will soon be mine!

I feel like these boots are going to fill a big hole in my current shoe wardrobe. As far as boots go, mine are mostly casual, with the exception of my grey slouch ones from Target which can be dressed up. These boots will definitely work for nicer occasions :)

On an unrelated note, I was thinking about starting a little Fatale Fashion store. I have lots of stuff that I either haven't worn at all or have worn just once or twice that I just can't bring myself to give away. Would you guys be interested in something like that? I'd so rather give you, my lovely followers a good price on items you'd want rather than list them on eBay or something. Leave a comment and let me know!

Welcome to Cookiii, Gabriela Perez, Elizabeth, and Arlene Moskwa!