Real vs. Copycat

    While making a set on Polyvore recently, I saw a cute pair of triangle earrings. As I continued scrolling through pages of earrings, I spotted another pair, but these were pink. I was then curious to know if they were from the same brand, and where I could purchase them. What I found was interesting, and sort of shocking. The first pair of earrings I had seen were from Nicole Richie's line, House of Harlow. However, the second pair were from Hot Topic. Now, you may be wondering what part of this discovery was shocking. Well, I'm going to tell you. But look at the comparisons of the earrings below:

    The two marked 'real' are from House of Harlow, and each cost $100. The pink pair marked 'copycat' are from Hot Topic and only cost $2.99! And the black and silver copycat pair are from Forever 21, costing just $5.80.

    I'm used to seeing copycat clothing and shoes at Forever 21, but these earrings have to be the closest to looking real that I've ever seen. The pattern is almost exact. Personally, I like the Hot Topic ones better than any of them, just because they're pink. I do have to admit that the House of Harlow ones are super cute, but definitely not worth $100 when I can get pink ones for $2.99 (everything's better in pink, right?). Plus, there's a warning on the House of Harlow earrings saying that they are "heavier than expected", but the ones at Forever 21 say they're "lightweight."

    So which would you choose: Real or Copycat? Leave a comment below!

Wild Stripes

    If you read my previous post, you know that I just recently returned from a trip to Atlanta, Georgia. Of course I had to do some shopping while I was there (Lenox Square Mall was only a few blocks from our hotel!). Even though we went in almost every store in the entire mall, I only left with 3 things. But today I'm just sharing my favorite with you all: the animal print dress from Express!

    I absolutely LOVE this dress! It was originally $65, on sale for $35. I was happy to see it was on sale, considering I had spent the majority of my money before we even left for Atlanta (I spent the money on concert tickets, haha). Anyway, this dress is silky and very lightweight. I'm hoping to buy some red shoes to go with it at some point. I also love the ruffled detail in the neckline. Plus, I'm kind of addicted to animal print (I noticed yesterday that if I wanted to, I could make an entire outfit out of zebra print), which is the main reason I noticed this dress hanging on the rack. 

    The next dress I'm showing you in this post has been hanging in my closet for a while, and I've never worn it. However, as soon as I get the chance to, I'll be wearing it! 

    I love the stripes and the belt! It's a really simple dress, but it's also cute. And the pockets are adorable, too.

    Do you have a favorite dress? Leave a comment below!

    By the way, tomorrow will be a crafty-DIY post! :) 

Nails for the Femme Fatale Concert!

    On July 18th, I'll be going downtown for the Britney Spears/Nicki Minaj concert. And since I don't like Britney that much, I decided to show my love for Nicki by doing nails inspired by her music videos! :) So far, she's put out 5 solo music videos, and that means each hand gets one nail for each video. 

    In the collage above, I've put pictures of the inspiration next to each nail so it makes a little more sense for the non-Nicki fans, haha. The 5 music videos are Super Bass, Moment 4 Life, Did It On 'Em, Your Love, & Massive Attack.

    Even though I won't be meeting Nicki, I'm hoping that she'll see my nails via Twitpic! HOPEFULLY. Probably not, but I can dream, right? Haha.

    Anyway, I hope everyone's having a great week and tomorrow I'll be posting about my shopping trip from today! :)

Going Back in Time

  
    About two weeks ago, I saw this dress at an antique store where my grandparents have a booth. The main reason I noticed it was because it's red, and that's my favorite color, so it always sticks out to me. My grandmother and I admired the dress, then went on our way. So the next day, (they go there everyday to manage their booth and whatnot), I was forced to try it on. [hit the jump for the rest of the story + more pictures!]

Bows, Beads, & Bolts!

   Right now I'm loving necklaces, especially ones with bows! But I'm also pretty fascinated by lightening bolt necklaces. Below are some pictures of my favorite necklaces :)

Angel Wing & Hearts with Rhinestones

Polka Dot Bow Necklace (my fave!)

Lightening Bolt 

Aqua Necklace from Mexico

Nail Your Nail Art!

    Nail art may seem difficult at first, but with the right tool, it can be super easy! Check out some of my designs below:

Glitter, Crackle, & Rhinestones

Animal Print with Glitter & a Rhinestone

Cross, Crackle, Glitter, & a Rhinestone for the Monster Ball.

Sequins 'n Studs!

    This summer is all about texture and print! Designers like Jeffrey Campbell and Betsey Johnson have added sequins, studs, glitter, and crazy animal print to their collections. Although I am dying to get a pair of Litas by Jeffrey Campbell, for now I'm thankful to have my Betsey Johnson crossbody bag! I bought this bag about 3 months ago for $25.

I was obsessed with this bag for the first month, but then I decided I need something smaller for the summer. So I bought this wristlet made by Nine West for $15. 

It's Gonna Be a Striped Summer!

    Summer shirts are full of stripes, stripes, and more stripes! Vertical, horizontal, and diagonal, take your pick. I own two striped summer shirts, both bright and colorful.

    The turquoise tye-dye shirt is from Forever 21. I'm pretty sure it's no longer available, but that doesn't mean you can't find something similar. Or, if you like diy, you could even make one! :) The pink shirt was purchased more recently at Delia's. Although it's only available in stores, it's only $14.99! And it's super comfy (always an added plus for summer).

    I love these shirts because they can be paired with shorts, jeans, or even a skirt. So far I've worn them with denim shorts, as well as white skinny jeans. And because it's summer, I added a cute pair of wedges!

    So get creative and see what you can find in your own closet to create the perfect striped summer top! :)

Summer Shorts!

Even though we're already a few days into summer, you might not have that pair of summer shorts you've been looking for. So maybe this post will help you out! :)

Below are three pairs of shorts that I purchased  on a recent shopping trip. I'm going to tell you what I do and don't like about the shorts, which will hopefully help you in your search for the perfect pair of summer shorts!