Log Cabin Chic

Everyone knows that being totally secluded from any kind of normal civilization (i.e. Wi-Fi, the E! channel, CVS, etc.) is completely frightening.  So…. what better way to celebrate the scariest time of year then to rent a log cabin in the middle of nowhere?! Spooky!…Good idea right? (Thanks, Ash). It was a great way to ditch the costumed crazies in the city and save some $cashish$.  Halloween can be SO expensive. Costumes, drinks, admission, cabs… It can get out of control, and changing it up every once and a while isn't a bad thing.

So, we loaded up and headed out west, Timberville, VA to be exact, about two hours from DC in the Shenandoah Valley. As we approached Timberville in the snow, it was like being transported to a galaxy far, FAR away. When I tell you this cabin was in the middle of nowhere, I mean it. This place was surrounded by the glorious nostril burning smells of chicken farms, creepy children-of-the-corn cornfields and people who had so much camo gear it made me want to strip off my “Kate” inspired cashmere cape and donate it to their, probably endless, collection of urine drenched hunting fatigues (clearly I would never discard such a great piece of clothing, but it’s the thought that counts right?).

We drank my new favorite drinks "Summer Coolers": 1 part Makers Mark, 2 parts ginger ale, and a large slice of lemon. So yum. We made zucchini bread, spinach artichoke dip and Rachael Ray's vegetarian chili with beef on the side for the boys (I should clarify, when I say "we" I mean Stephanie & Ashley did, ha can't take any credit). We went to Luray Caverns, interesting to see, but not worth $46 for two tickets. Lets be real people, the only rocks I want to pay to see are the kind I could possibly wear one day, duh. We played card games and had a few impromptu dance parties.We were only there for the weekend, It was such a great getaway. 

Navy, Navy... Oh Baby.

I am currently color crushing on na-na-navy. I looovvvve navy, it's my new obsesh. I must admit, my crush stems from seeing my favorite Princess rocking this color everywhere around the world. Princess Kate (pictured) has effortless fashion sense and she wears this color so well (duh, she's pencil thin *clothes always look better on skinny minis*). The style I put together is more casual for a "Yank" like me. Not everyone in the world is British royalty, so it may not be realistic to dress like Kate, but that doesn't mean we can't look as chic. My favorite part about wearing this color is pairing a great nude pump with anything navy, the combination looks and feels right. Don't you think?

It’s not shopping, it’s charity! Right? Goodwill, Great deals.

Jaclyn Smith Plum Silk Blouse: 
Retail $25+ (in the 90’s), I paid $4.98

United Colors of Benetton Linen Blazer: 
Retail $99.00, I paid $6.98

Dana Buchman Grey Wool Jacket: 
Retail $200+, I paid $6.98

Tahari ASL Women’s Black Open Jacket: 
Retail: $168.00, I paid $6.98

Tracy Reese Embellished Stretch Wool Blend Dress 
Fall 2009 Collection: 
Retail $295-$375, I paid $8.98

Walter by Walter Baker Blue Ruffle Chiffon Tank: 
Retail $65.00-$100.00, I paid $4.98

 I have recently become enlightened of Goodwill and all its glory, and when I say it’s glorious, I mean it! I can’t believe the things people throw away. Buying used is a great way to save a few $doll-hairs$. This is great for chicks (like me) that are ballin’ on a budget, but still want to look chic. You just need to have the patience to look through the mass amounts of clothing that is Goodwill. With patience and a good eye, the sky is the limited when bargain hunting.

In the past, when I thought of thrift stores I would think to myself: “Gross! Used clothes? Soooo NOT for me” or “Only weirdo’s shop at thrift stores, not girls like me” or “I’m to classy to wear clothes that other people have owned. I’m not into dumpster diving” Lit-tra-lly, when I thought of the kind of people who shopped at thrift stores, I thought of grungy kids who wear crappy military boots, chains, ripped t-shirts and jenga jeans; or old people who just can’t let go of the styles from the past and pay for things in pennies. Psssh…. I’ll admit it, I was a total douche and completely wrong. I LOVE GOODWILL!

Look at all of the great pieces I found yesterday! Can you believe these people throw away such great clothes? I can’t, but I’m happy they did. More for me! As someone who can’t even throw away a XX21 bolero sweater from high school (which I haven’t worn since then), throwing away clothes crazy. It’s the equivalent of throwing away children to me, I just can’t do it. The trick to finding great pieces from thrift stores is looking at every single piece of clothing. This may take you an hour or so, but it’s totally worth it. Also, try it on! If you are buying for yourself, make sure to try everything on before you buy it. Don’t make the mistake of buying just because it’s a great deal because when you get it home it may not fit properly or you may notice a stain /rip that wasn’t noticeable on the hanger. Another great thing to remember is only go to thrift stores near wealthy neighborhoods. The Goodwill I went to is in the 2^nd wealthiest county in the northeast. Don’t waste your time at thrift stores in crumby parts of your city, because they will most likely have cheap crumby clothes and what the point in buying used, cheap, crumby clothes? You want to buy gently used, well taken care of, designer clothes. Go to where you think the people with the most money would drop off their clothes. Usually wealthy people clean out their closets every season. Finally, always wash or dry clean the clothes you buy before you wear them. You never know if the person who owned the clothes before you bothered to wash the item before dropping it off. If you follow these rules you will be able to find pieces for a fraction of the price you would pay at retail stores.

Things I bought:

- Tracy Reese Embellished Stretch Wool Blend Dress Fall 2009 Collection: Retail $295-$375, I paid $8.98

- Walter by Walter Baker Blue Ruffle Chiffon Tank: Retail $65.00-$100.00, I paid $4.98

- Tahari ASL Women’s Black Open Jacket: Retail: $168.00, I paid $6.98

- Dana Buchman Grey Wool Jacket: Retail $200+, I paid $6.98

- Jaclyn Smith Plum Silk Blouse: Retail $25+ (in the 90’s), I paid $4.98
- United Colors of Benetton Linen Blazer: Retail $99.00, I paid $6.98

“She was a VIXEN when she went to school, and though she be but little, she is fierce” - Will Shakespeare

Since the title of this blog was inspired by my addiction to nail polish (thanks to my wonderful friend Jenn, xoxo), it’s only appropriate I tell you about my current fav color: Revlon Vixen. It’s classic, glides on evenly and really makes your nails pop without being tacky.

I was inspired to find a color like this after seeing a variety of celebs wearing a similar color, no doubt they were wearing Chanel “Vamp". However, I decided to save some cash and  buy a cheaper alternative. Revlon makes quality nail polish for a fraction of the price, and the best part of buying Revlon is you don‘t have to find a makeup counter to buy a fab color. All you have to do is make a quick run to your local drugstore. Chanel’s nail polish runs about $25, I bought my Revlon color on sale at CVS for $4.99. LOVE a good deal. 

This nail polish will last for at least a week with a good base coat and a fantastic top coat. For a base I usually Orly Bonder Basecoat, $4-$7 and INM Out-the-Door Topcoat - $5. If you’re looking for a staple fall nail color, Vixen is a great choice.

First! Get prepared...

Hello world! Wow, I feel like I’ve wanted to start THIS blog for ages! I have been thinking about it FOR-EV-ER. I finally put my TiVo remote down (but didn’t turn it off because The Rachel Zoe Project was on, duh), got off my ever expanding rear and got to it. I am super pumped to be starting this saaaweet blog. I can’t wait to share everything and anything I love, shopping, beauty, celebs, etc...

If you are not ready for me to NAIL you with some great tips and amazing finds (especially for girls on a budget) OR if you have not yet prepared yourself to be sucked into the world shopping, beauty and gossip that is my life… Now is the time to prepare yourselves.

- W