Blogging Besties: Sandals

Happy Friday, friends!  Did you have a wonderful week?  I've had so much fun celebrating my birthday with friends and family...for once I'm not ready for the week to be over!

Last week Alex looked so put together in her all-neutral ensemble:

I chose to go with an entirely different look and only passed-on a pair of sandals.  This post is a minor fail because you can't even see my sandals in these pictures...but I promise they are there!

A few weeks ago I reviewed my first Le Tote experience.  This dress arrived in my second "tote" and I love it!  I'm not yet thrilled with every piece I've received but I'm enjoying the service enough to continue with it.  I will keep you posted!

Here are your elements to pass-on for next week: a printed dress, a denim vest, sandals, or something borrowed!

What I'm Wearing:

Dress: c/o Le Tote (similar, similar)

Vest: Old Navy (similar)

Sandals: Boutique (similar)

What did you pass-on from Alex's look last week?

An InLinkz Link-up

Birthday Dress

Alright dear blogging friends, have a glass of champagne and a cupcake for me...because today is my birthday!  I feel blessed to be celebrating all week long in my beloved state of Michigan with friends and family.  On Tuesday, my handsome man took me on a surprise birthday date.  My only request of him was that I would get to wear a dress and heels!

He obliged!  He took me out for a romantic dinner overlooking a beautiful Lake Michigan sunset.  And I got to wear my new Milly by Kohl's dress with some hot pink pumps!

Merci, mon amour!

What I'm Wearing:

Dress: Kohl's (exact)

Heels: Old (similar, similar)

Blogging Besties: All Neutrals

Hi, all! On Monday, I started my summer job and am now wrapping my first-ever 40(+) hour work week, so truly I say--TGIF! I'm so ready to relax and unwind with my family over this long Memorial Day weekend and get ready to do it all again on Tuesday!

Last week, Whitney wore a fun all-neutral summer look with a black tee, patterned shorts and an open chambray!

Since I don't own patterned shorts and wedges aren't appropriate for my job, I decided to go with all neutrals! I wish I could have worn a fun summery look like Whitney, but it's been chilly and rainy here all week (hence the hair issues in these photos--my deepest apologies.)

Top: JC Penney (similar, similar, similar)

Cardigan: LOFT (similar, similar, similar)

Jeans: LOFT (exact, similar, similar)

Sandals: Jack Rogers (similar)

The elements of this outfit are: all neutrals, lace tee, cardigan, relaxed jeans, sandals, and a pendant necklace! What did you pass on from Whitney's look last week?

An InLinkz Link-up

Blogging Besties: Black T-Shirt

Have I mentioned lately just how dang cute Alex is?  From her genuine smile to her great style, I love passing-on an element from her outfit every other week!

From Alex's perfect take on class elements last week, I chose to pass-on a black t-shirt.

I'm loving my new patterned shorts from Old Navy!  With a cute print and an elastic waistband, what more could you want from a pair of shorts?!  For the first time I wore them, I let them shine by keeping the rest of the outfit basic and neutral.  So without further ado, here are your choices for next week: a black t-shirt, a long necklace, a chambray shirt, (patterned) shorts, wedges, or all neutrals!

What I'm Wearing:

T-Shirt: Gap Outlet (similar)

Shorts: Old Navy (exact)

Chambray: Old Navy (similar)

Necklace: c/o Rocks Box (similar, similar)

Wedges: Hand-Me-Down (similar, similar)

Previous Editions of Blogging Besties

Featured On:

Whitney à la mode

Undergraduate Style

What did you pass-on from Alex's look last week?

An InLinkz Link-up

My First Le Tote Experience

From clothing to jewelry to make-up and even snacks, subscription services are all the rage lately!  In the past I've tried Stitch Fix and Rocks Box and have really enjoyed my experiences.  There's something so fun about receiving a box in the mail filled with surprise goodies to wear!  

I've been curious about Le Tote for quite awhile now, and given that it's my birthday month, I decided to splurge a little and see what it's all about!

The details:

• Subscribing to Le Tote costs $49 per month.
• Le Tote sends you a box filled with five clothing and jewelry items.
• You get to wear the pieces as much as you want, then send them back when you're done!
• As soon as you send your box back, Le Tote will send you a new one (yes, that means unlimited boxes each month)!
• If you like an item, you can purchase it at a discounted rate!

Now obviously there are pros and cons when you compare Le Tote to Stitch Fix.  Le Tote is definitely more expensive compared to Stitch Fix's $20 boxes.  However, with SF, you only wear what you decide to keep and pay for, there's no taking the rest of the pieces for a trial run.  And not only do you get to wear all of your LT items, you can receive multiple boxes a month for the $49 whereas with SF, it's a one time deal.

Now on to my first Le Tote delivery!  Here are the items I received:

To be honest, I was a little bit disappointed with my first "tote."  There are a few items that I liked but I'm a bit underwhelmed overall.  However, I think there are a few things I can do differently to ensure that I like my next delivery even better!

• Striped Shirt: This is my favorite item from my first tote.  I had already "added it to my closet" to help my stylist understand my taste in clothing.  If you've spent any amount of time reading Whitney à la mode, you know that I love stripes.  So stripes going in different directions?  Sign me up!  I had fun wearing this shirt but the fit just wasn't perfect (too short sleeves) so I will be sending it back.
• Blue Dress: Holy cling!  This dress is made from a thick, knit, clingy material.  So lumps and bumps, you could see them all!  Let's not even get started on the size of my behind in this dress.  I won't even show you a picture.  Yep, that bad.
• Cable-Knit Sweater: Umm, have you checked the weather in Alexandria lately?  Clearly my stylist did not.  It's been in the 80s here so I could barely convince myself to try this sweater on.   Aside from that, I wasn't a fan of the zipper or the color or the fit.
• Pink Earrings:  I also placed these earrings in my closet, so I was excited to receive them.  I'm going to get one good wear out of them and then send them back so I can receive my next tote.
• Necklace: It's pretty and I'll wear it, I'm just not in love with it.

So there are a few things that I'm going to do to (hopefully) improve my next box.  I wrongly assumed that the LT stylists take the weather into account when choosing your items.  Since that isn't the case, I went back to my "Style Profile" and requested that I do not receive sweaters.  If I'm still doing LT when the cooler weather rolls around, I'll go back and change that.  I also realized that I wasn't excited to receive jewelry...probably because I love my Rocks Box subscription.  I also went back and requested only clothing.

So please forgive this lengthy post, I just wanted to share my experience with you in case you've been considering Le Tote as well!  If you are at all curious, I would greatly appreciate if you sign-up using my code.  We each get $25 out of the deal!

As you can see, I really did enjoy wearing that striped top!

What I'm Wearing:

Shirt: Le Tote (similar, similar)

Shorts: Anthropologie (similar, similar)

Flats: LOFT (similar, similar)

Purse: Nine West Outlet (similar, similar)

Linking-Up:

Fizz and Frosting- Mix It Mondays

I do DeClaire- Confident Twosdays

Pink Sole and ChaCha the Fashion Genius- #HowISpring

Blogging Besties: Leopard Flats

Hey, friends! Happy Friday! Last week, Whitney featured a simple look with a black fit-and-flare dress, a gorgeous delicate gold necklace, and leopard flats.

I realized when she posted that I haven't worn my leopard flats in a while, so I decided to pass those on! I wore them with a simple jeans+tee, accessorizing with a cardigan and a statement necklace. Disclaimer: These photos were taken after I came home from class on a rainy day, so my hair/clothes were damp  and my shoes were SOAKED. So if anything looks funny, that's why, haha.

Tee: Target (similar, similar, similar)

Jeans: Forever XXI (similar, similar, similar)

Cardigan: LOFT (similar, similar)

Flats: Target, thrifted (similar, similar, similar)

The elements of this outfit are: leopard flats, simple black tee, skinny jeans, fitted cardigan, statement necklace, emerald, and camel!

Previous Editions of Blogging Besties

What did you pass on from Whitney's look last week? Link up here! 

An InLinkz Link-up

Currently: May

designing: Posters to rally outside of the Supreme Court!  What do we want?  Marriage equality!  When do we want it?  NOW!

enjoying: Time with my beautiful friends here in Alexandria.

ordering: From the Milly for Kohl's collection.  I won't reveal what I ordered just yet but here's to hoping it makes a great birthday dress!

celebrating: My birthday on May 28th!

tasting: More protein-rich and carb-free recipes like this one.

Linking-up with Anne and Jenna for Currently.

Birthday Dresses and Wishlists

When the month of May rolls around, I find that the sun shines a little brighter and the flowers smell a little sweeter.  Because spring has truly arrived, you ask?  Well, perhaps, but it's also my birthday month!  I don't turn a year wiser until the 28th but I love the entire month, nonetheless!

Do you know who else has a birthday this month? My sweet friend Ada of Elegance and Mommyhood!  Every year, Ada picks a few of her blogging friends to style a special birthday dress look for her to feature on her blog.  I'm so excited that I'm one of the chosen few this year...especially because I love a good birthday dress!

I chose a relaxed yet pretty ensemble, perfect for a fun evening out with friends and family!  Wearing a maxi dress made of jersey material is a great way to look feminine while staying super comfortable.  A denim jacket is one of my springtime staples because it's cute and easy to throw-on when a the weather is a bit too chilly for a dress alone.  Finally, something sparkly is a must for a perfect birthday look and these sandals fit the bill!

With my own birthday coming-up, I've got a birthday list on my mind!  My trusty tote bag that I bring to school with me every day is beginning to wear-out and I've been itching to upgrade to a sleek, leather bag.  I really like the three below.  Which one do you like the best?  

Madewell        J.Crew        Nordstrom

Here are a few other things I've been thinking about.  My favorite singer of all time, Jewel, just released a line of shirts featuring some of her lyrics and I'm in love with the one below.  I've also been  admiring the clothing from Boden for quite sometime but it's a little bit out of my price range.  Perfect for a birthday list, right?  And finally, I wear my leopard-print flats so much that a pair of similar heels might be a future closet staple for me!  What do you have on your wish list currently?

Jewel        Boden        Sole Society

What I'm Wearing:
Dress: Land's End (similar, similar)
Jacket: Hand-Me-Down (similar, similar)
Flats: Target (exact)

April Budget

It feels like it's been ages since my last budget update.  I didn't write such a post in March because I didn't buy a single thing all month!  I decided to end the first quarter of my 2015 budget with a surplus so that I could buy something special in April...a great pair of classic, white Converse sneakers (which you've already seen here and here and here).  These shoes are already getting so much love and I can't wait to wear them into the summer months.  I definitely feel like this was a smart and fun purchase!

The mint cardigan was a closet staple that I wanted to add to my wardrobe.  In order to hit Old Navy's $50 minimum for free shipping, I added the dress and blouse to my cart.  It turns out that both are super cute, especially the dress!  I love this little number so much that I ordered the same one in black (and am trying to refrain from ordering it in guava...I need an intervention).

The necklace that I received in my most recent Rocks Box and the fun, heart-shaped sunnies round-out my first purchases of the spring.  I can't wait for the temperatures to start rising so I can continue to wear these pieces!

1.  Old Navy Jersey Fit & Flare Dress: Original Price- $29.95 Price Spent- $5

2.  Old Navy Floral Pop-Over: Original Price- $32.42 Price Spent- $24.94

3.  Old Navy 3/4 Sleeved V-Neck Cardigan: Original Price- $25.92 Price Spent- $19.94

4.  Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Sneaker: Original Price- $55 Price Spent- $ 47.65

5.  LOFT Metallic Heart Shaped Sunglasses: Original Price- $24.50 Price Spent- $24.50

6.  Ashiana London Diamond Charm Long Necklace: Original Price- $61 Price Spent- $38

Total Remaining from First Quarter- $20.08

Total Spent April- $160.03

Total Spent this Quarter- $139.95

Total Saved this Quarter- $63.75

Total Remaining- $110.05

Linking-up with Fran's Budgeting Bloggers!

Blogging Besties: Gold Necklace

I don't know about you, my friends, but it has been one crazy week!  I'm so happy that we've made it to Friday!  Do you have any plans this weekend?  I'm planning to do next to nothing and I couldn't be more pleased.

Alex looked like she was ready for summer is this bright ensemble from last week!

This "take one, pass it on" moment was a bit tricky for me since I wore my only orange shirt last week and don't own a pair of white jeans.  So gold accessories it is!

Featuring gold accessories is also a great reason for me to show-off my latest Rocks Box purchase!  If you aren't familiar with Rocks Box, it's a $20 per month jewelry rental service.  For more information, check-out this post of mine!  If you receive a piece that you love, you can actually purchase it and keep it at a discounted rate.  I've been using the service for about a year now and have managed to limit myself to only three sparkly items to keep.  That means that this necklace is pretty darn amazing since I chose to purchase it!

Shameless plug: I get money to spend towards jewelry if I refer friends.  If this is something that interests you, I will love you forever if you use my code: whitneybff3!

I love that the necklace has feminine, delicate filigree details while still being long enough to make a statement.  For this look, I let the necklace stand-out while wearing what I think of as a "Whitney Uniform" of sorts: fit-and-flare dress and leopard-print flats!

Here are your choices to pass-on for next week: a little black dress or fit-and-flare style (or both), a long gold necklace, filigree jewelry, leopard-print flats, or black and cognac.

Don't forget to link-up below with your passed-on item from Alex's look last week!

What I'm Wearing:

Dress: Old Navy (exact)

Necklace: c/o Rocks Box (similar, similar)

Flats: LOFT (similar, similar)

An InLinkz Link-up