A few current lusts, from the usual haunts.

The 3 places I mainly shop at are: Forever 21, Target, and Urban Outfitters. Yes, I know, lower price point. If you look there are a lot of good designs. And a lot of high end designer knock off's at Forever21. I always look at clothing from a stand point of how long it would take me to make it, how hard it is to sew, and the textile it is made from. I love to dig, or "pillage".

Actually I love going through Marshalls, Nordstrom Rack, and Thrift Stores. But they are not online, so no pretty pictures, which is mainly what this blog will be of.

Some basic things I look at are sewing construction and fabric. For clothing, if the item is synthetic I rub parts of the fabric together to see if it will pill easily. I stretch it to make sure it is sewn correctly. If is a natural fiber I see if it stretches out easily, and if it is 100% cotton will it stretch out and/or fade? Did whoever made it take the time to snip the lose threads? If not, it is most likely not sewn all that well. For shoes, I do not purchase synthetics. I will buy fabric. I find these are quality things to look for. You can find nice leather shoes for the same price as crappy pleather ones. Just some ground rules for how I shop, and getting the most bang for my buck. I let these rules slide at times for clothing. The only reason being, if it falls apart, I more then well know how to put it back together again.

So here are a few things I would buy this week, or weekend, or today, if I could.

We'll start out with Forever21:

Oh crap, not the best way to start this out. But I guess I'll get it out of the way. I bought this hat, it's wool and angora. I didn't however find the matching gloves. Rats! I love matching glove and hat sets. This hat looks even better on, very 1920's. I wish the photograph did it more justice.


Since I am starting out with things I own......I also purchased this dress. It too looks much better on. It's very light and has lots of movement. I most likely would not have purchased it with out and event. But my girlfriends and I have a trip planned for Las Vegas in 2 months, and the above is my night time going out outfit. The smaller tulle on the very bottom also has a gold metallic on it for some added fun details. Ok need to get away from things I bought, since it is kind of an oxymoron of why I started this blog.

I love this bracelet. It is super cute and cheap. In December I saw the exact same monogram charm at Anthropologie for 4+ times the price. Funny to me, but then again, that is why I shop where I do. Everything is made cheaply overseas, and I don't see the point of paying more for the same products.

This would fall under the definition of "bodangle". What is a bodangle you may ask? Well it is a word that my friend Felicia invented. It refers to a larger, usually gaudy piece of jewelry or charm. Primarily gold or shiny. This is a prime example of a bodangle, and it even has a bow on it. Bows have been my lust item for about the last 6 months. I don't even know how many garments, shoes and jewelry I have with bows, but it's a lot.



Pencil skirts are a must have for everyone's wardrobe. This one is great, I adore the pleating and button details at the waist. Good thing I'm not trying these things on for reals, not sure how hot it would look on me.

My favorite sweaters always have intricate and detailed knits in them. This one looks great on, I know since my friend Amy bought it on an excursion we had a few months ago. The knit pattern hits perfectly above the bust line.

This is one of my favorite popular prints right now. I love this sleeve shape and the fact that this shirt is burn out. I'm glad to see this on garments, since it is such a fun effect to do on fabric.

Once again with the bows! I love bows. Not a huge fan of the white (I don't wear white). It is also very a-line for a top. If I were to purchase this, I would take it in to a more normal size.


I have seen a few different incarnations of this shirt in stores recently. I like it since I do not wear fur. I do wear leather in footwear only. It is a byproduct of the meat industry. If everyone were vegetarian I wouldn't wear it.

This top is fantastic. Nautical is a look that I love. Cheesey yacht club. I have been seeing a lot of gold chains on garments, but actual chain. I stay away from these, since I cannot imagine they are easy to launder or their lifespan that long. This top has the chain embroidered with gold metallic thread, so that solves the problem.


And now on to from Urban Outfitters:


I love flats. I love flats with fine details, like these "fish scales".The shallow sides and ankle strap make them super cute.

I'm in love with these heels. The scoop by the toe will show a little toe cleavage (an effect that makes larger feet appear a bit more dainty). The visual of the thick tapered heel is great from the side or the back. My favorite is the bottom inch of the heel that matches the lining. How fun is that? I'm a total nerd for fun details.


I think this dress is fantastic. Even though I would never personally buy it, since it would not mesh well with my body shape (pear). It is adorable, the dickie like bust and collar,and fun sheen of the fabric. I love the puffy sleeves.

It took all my willpower not to purchase this little number for my birthday shindig. It has a fantastic neckline, and a great cut. The one trend I cannot wait to go away is the empire waist. Most likely that it looks wretched on me, 70% of the dresses have that cut, and it could pass as maternity wear. Anyways, back to my dream dress. It's silk, it's boatnecked, and my favorite color, black.

An item I always over purchase is lingerie. This slip is adorable, even though it has my much hated empire waist. But hey, it's supposed to go under a dress. Even though the detail on the bottom of the skirt is cute enough to be worn outside.

This is the new thing I love. NESTING DOLLS! They were a favorite toy of mine as a child. Last week I found a sheet of tiny little dolls stickers. Which I have stuck all over my home and desk at work. So I have love this nesting doll pillow.

And last but not least, the I Love You necklace that I LOVE. It is an actual envelope that opens with the little I love you note that comes out. It looks antique.


Phew! That was hard, and I still want all that stuff. But at least none of it looked bad when I tried it on.