5 Products I Love.

I'm always reading magazine articles where some women somewhere voted some beauty products as necessities, but most of the time when I try them myself they aren't so hot. I'm curious- what products can you not live without? I take it a bit more seriously from bloggers I like than magazines I like.

I personally don't wish to live without:

1. Mary Kay powder foundation in Ivory 1.
I know, I know, Mary Kay. But this stuff is awesome. I have sensitive skin, and I've had mild to heavy issues with acne since age 17. This stuff gives me good coverage (not stellar, but pretty impressive). It's not cakey because it's powder, and it doesn't clog my pores.

Rather than track down a Mary Kay lady, I buy this baby on Amazon whenever I'm running low. I've been using it religiously since early this year and I'm hooked. Never had a powder that looked this natural and covered so well.

2. Marc Jacobs Daisy Perfume
Aside from a few body sprays and a short flirtation with Clinique Happy in high school, I've never been much of a perfume girl. I have a very, very keen sense of smell (zero benefit to it, trust me) and most perfumes turn my stomach and give me a headache.

When my mom bought me Daisy as a gift based on my love for the flower, I acted excited to please her. I then put it in my closet and forgot about it for months and months. I found it one day last spring, gave it a whiff... and became addicted. I'm in love with the stuff now, and I wear it every day. Happily ever after.

3. Neutrogena Healthy Defense SPF 45
Minimal smell, non-greasy, dries quickly, 45 SPF for my poor pale skin. What's not to love? I do wish it came in a slightly bigger container, but with rationing it can last you quite a while. Been using it for over a year now, which is rare for me. I used to be something of a moisturizer rover.

4. Anastasia Brow Duality stick (I get the Camille/Sand color)
A while ago I became obsessed with brows. Namely, why mine looked ragged and the women on tv's looked so precise and lovely. Enter, Sephora girl. She not only taught me things that changed everything I knew about my eyebrows, but also turned me on to this awesome little stick.

Every morning I run the non-sparkly side of this highlighter under my brows and in the corners of my eyes. My eyes look brighter, and my brows look more polished and groomed instantly, even if I've been bad about plucking. The stick was a bit pricey (ahem, Sephora), but worth it.

5. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick (in pink)
I really couldn't justify buying something this pricey myself, but I got it as a gift. I dust it on my cheeks every morning, and often use it as a base eyeshadow. It has shimmer, but it's subtle. It just gives your face a dewy, fresh look. If applied improperly or photographed with a bright flash, it makes you look kind of sweaty, as my Facebook albums can attest. Beware!

It has this basic effect on my face, if done right.


I'd be interested to know what you love so much you could be a spokeswoman. Feel free to drop me some advice in the comments!

Best Etsy Experience Ever.

I got my ring from Works in Progress today (I said A Kingdom by the Sea before, which is actually her blog)! What a great distraction while I wait for my boots. The ring is just as cute in person as it was in her stylish photos. She shipped it immediately, so it got here mega-fast. To top it all off, this was inside the envelope- cute packaging win.

The ring is adorable. I'm using her picture here because it was getting dark when I got home, and all my ring pictures are blurry. This is just it in her hand versus mine. A very similar photo.

When I was on her Etsy page buying the ring, I browsed through a couple of her other pieces and was really smitten with her book necklaces. I added them to my Etsy favorites list immediately. When I opened the packaging for my ring today, lo and behold:

 

She threw in a book necklace! A seriously geek-out moment for me. It's wicked cute. I have no idea if she knew that I loved them or not, but I'm having a grand old time. I've been having some bad Etsy experiences lately, so bumping into someone so friendly, fast and cute feels really good. You should check her out!

The Dangers of Excercise Part 2: I Wasn't Kidding.

Yesterday's mention of the Aldo Cassetty boot was meant to be a thought in passing, just mentioning a cool pair of boots that finally convinced me to try and find an over-the-knee for my very own. I considered it the pair that sparked the search.

What I didn't know was that I would not be able to stop thinking about them all day. Like, to a keep-a-picture-of-them-up-in-another-window-while-I-was-working-all-day-so-I-could-click-over-and-adore-them level. It's really bad. I'm totally infatuated.

They don't go too far up the thigh (one of my weaker fitness areas), which rocks. The toe looks a bit more pointy now that I'm getting a better look at them, but that's not a huge deal. I spent all day at work giddy about them, mentally incorporating them into my wardrobe. For the first time since early high school, a black tall boot was seeming really cool.

So, of course, as soon as I got home... I went straight out and bought them. Of course, it wasn't that easy, because they didn't have my size. So of course, I got to order them and wait until Monday or Tuesday to know how they work out. I tried a comparable pair of boots on and they fit, so, here's hoping.

Splurge City. I know. It's wrong, but I had to have them. Forbidden love is always the best. These are the most expensive pair of shoes I've gotten since my mad-crazy splurge on the Frye Adrienne devoured all my college graduation money.

Now maybe I'll be able to concentrate on insurance regulations tomorrow instead of how wickedly 80's these boots would look with that blue sequin dress I've been craving. Or, maybe I'll keep dreaming of how else to wear them. Tights, skinny jeans, mini shorts, oh my. Monica Rose and her assistant bought a pair and display them repeatedly here. I'm so excited! Photos when they turn up.

The Dangers of Exercise.

Today has been a weird shoe day. The first rockin' pair I saw was a bright blue pair of Mary Janes by Vivian Westwood on major sale. I have this test where I try and imagine how I'll feel if I don't buy something. If a sinking feeling doesn't automatically follow, I'm probably not that into it. These adorable Mary Janes didn't stir up any feeling of loss, so despite their epic me-ness I didn't go for them.

The second pair was spotted while I walked by the Aldo near my apartment. The Boyfriend and I were walking the local shopping area in a noble attempt to exercise ourselves, but it devolved into a "let's just stop in here quick..." game. For once, it was he who was doing the pit stops, not me. That is, until I passed the Aldo window. The store was closed (thank god), but these puppies were sitting in the window, looking up at me.

I have a boot problem in the first place. I also love worn looking leather, interesting details, and I love that it's a flat boot. It's one of those super popular over the knee boots that I worry are too trendy, but I think you could unzip the top and roll it down. For $170, it's really scraping the top of what I can pay at the moment.

Luckily for me, these are black leather, which I don't love. I prefer worn, dark brown leather. I mean, I'll take a black leather purse or pair of pumps any day, but when it comes to fashion sneakers, boots, coats, messenger bags... brown brown brown.

I'm going on a quest to find something similar to these (in brown! and affordable-ish!), but I'll keep an eye on them. They may just be cool enough to shake my feelings. Even Boyfriend likes them. This from the guy who quite frequently laughs and tells me I need more boots like he needs more poker books.

Sigh. These boots might be passing the "will I feel sad if I miss out on them" test I mentioned before. I'll be thinking about them for a while. Stupid exercise.

Seriously, New Years.

When I said I originally wanted to go crazy with sequins for New Years, I was not kidding. I haven't settled on the dress I want just yet, though the black and gray one I featured before is still my strongest contender.

These, however, kick my sweet little dress's ass.

It is brutally unfair how cool and how "me" these dresses are. I'm picturing them with thick black tights, black strappy shoes, possibly a white slouchy sweater for some December warmth, and an orange bag, perhaps big enough to stuff the sweater in when I go into the warm bar areas. I guess I could also layer a thin sweater underneath. Ugh, how cold weather cramps my sequined minidress style.

This event is centered in a street with lots of bars on it. The show will take place on a big stage in the street, with people wandering in and out of bars. Freezing outside, really warm inside. It's a wardrobe challenge, to be sure.

The black and gray dress is my backup, but consider me still on the hunt.

Ring Win.

So I was bopping around the blogosphere, reading my favorite style blogs and adding a few new ones to my list, when I came to the blog A Kingdom By the Sea. Not only is the site completely adorable (and, I hope, named for a line in my favorite Poe poem), but it's also used to advertise the jewelry and photos from her Etsy shop.

One of her entries was about this new technique she was trying with her jewelry, and featured the world's cutest daisy ring. Daisies are my favorite flowers. They're bright, pretty, unpretentious and friendly. My mom and I totally bonded over Meg Ryan movies when I was younger and I always loved the line from You've Got Mail: "Daisies are the friendliest flower". I went to check out her ring in the shop and found that it was beautifully photographed, adjustable, and affordable. The title of the listing was none other than my Meg Ryan quote. Of course, I bought it.

I'm so excited to see how this looks in person. I haven't worn a ring in years, but I can actually see myself making this one an everyday piece. More pictures when I get it in the mail!

Weak Willed.

Okay, I promised myself I would try and avoid Sex and the City entries like the plague. I do love the show, and obviously it inspired the name for my blog, but I don’t consider myself one of the more rabid fans. Nor do I appreciate the stereotypes that come with the fandom (LABELS!!! BOYS!!!!). I figured it was best to just avoid SATC topics until I’d fleshed out this blog a bit.

Of course, that plan was dashed. But it wasn’t really my fault!

Last night while at Blockbuster, The Boyfriend wanted to show his appreciation for my watching (okay, taking a nap during) his football game with him. Wandering the aisles for a “me” movie for us to watch, he pointed to the SATC movie and said, “You know, I would watch that with you. I should see it anyway- the show was pretty good.” Then he decided that wasn’t enough, and bought me the BlueRay copy for my very own. Yes, we’re keeping him.

Even after the love affair that is watching that film (in high def, no less), I still wasn’t going to blog about any of the things it stirred up in my head. Not even the awesome pink shell dress Carrie wears with the black studded belt and heels.

But it really isn’t my fault that while surfing the Target site for a Polyvore set, I came across this dress on sale:

While it's of course not a perfect match, I think with accessories it could give a decently similar vibe (though the A-line skirt will make it lose some of its edge). The front is more similar than the back of course:

In looking for the Carrie photo, I actually found this blog entry that offered a version of the dress and belt that is much closer. This blogger says that the pearls Carrie rocks don't work, but I wholeheartedly disagree.

Youtube Makeup Lessons.

I started wearing makeup at the beginning of 9th grade. A family friend visited and brought her daughter, a year younger than me. I attempted to start a conversation about how we were both going to new schools in the fall, both of us having just moved into town. She was relentlessly rude to me the entire visit, acting as though I weren't worth speaking to. Later when my mother asked how we got along, I explained that I was used to being treated a certain way by girls who knew how to dress and wore makeup. They didn't have much use for my awkward, gangly body, tomboy clothes, bare face and braces.

My mom took me to the Clinique counter of our local PX (think of it as army family Walmart) within the week and had them give me a total makeover. She then bought every product they used on me. Though some may not agree with her solution, I think my mother is a badass and I have been fascinated by makeup ever since.

Imagine my thrill in early college when I found out they have women who teach you makeup on Youtube! My first girl was Panacea81. I thought she was adorable- insecure and a little mousy, she constantly informed you that she knew she didn't look like whichever actress's makeup she was imitating. She seemed like your average friendly, apologetic neighbor, but then she would bust out these killer eyes:

She's since gotten picked up by some makeup line or another and her Youtube page has gotten all zazzy. I haven't watched any of her videos in a while, but I hope she kept some of her cuteness. I don't need another perky petite pitching me products (alliteration bow).

My other favorite is MystiqueMakeup. This girl is also a sweetheart, and taught me how to do fingerwaves. She apparently does some kind of costume makeup on the side, and frequently features videos about that.

I went through a massive multicolor eyeshadow phase my senior year of college, and I got tons of compliments thanks primarily to the tips and tricks I picked up from these two. Do you have any Youtube teachers that I should know about? Do yours have cute accents too?

Madden and the Maxx.

I'm normally a huge TJ Maxx fan, being not-so-rich. Lately I've been reading a lot of blogettes who have been scoring major swag at their Maxxes, so I stopped by there the other day when picking up the last elements of my Halloween costume.

I never have much luck with the shoe aisle, as I have size 9 feet. Shopping for these feet for the last few years has brought me to the conclusion that I have the trendiest shoe size ever. The worst part about the picked over, messy TJ Maxx nearest my apartment is that things get mixed into the wrong place. Generally when I see a heart-stopping pair of shoes, they are really size 6's put in the wrong place. Or, the ever-cruel 8 1/2 almost-fitters. Argh.

I did manage to pick up some pretty cool Steve Maddens on this trip. I realize that to anyone who is of a higher fashion persuasion, Steve Madden is nothing to write home about. His shoes aren't the best by any stretch, and they're often knockoffs of designer shoes. To someone on a budget, however, his realm is magical. I like to troll the sale racks at my local Off Broadway Shoes and get them half off.

I can't find a picture of my shoes, which have "Petrra" stamped in them, but the Setra shoes on his site look the same (a typo? Possibly the reason for their TJ Maxx banishment?). I tried to take photos of them on my feet, but my camera battery is drained from last night's Halloween party. On the right are the Setras.

Actually, mine are exactly the same, except they're a very cool dark leopard print. Also my first ever animal print, so hey, go trendy me. They make your feet look smaller and more rounded, which is awesome. Having those afore-mentioned size 9s means that sometimes my feet make cute little heels look awkward and stretched out. In size 6 they're cute, but in size 9 they resemble leopard-print boats. High fives to any pair that make my feet look more delicate.

I scored these dudes for just under $30, and they were pretty comfortable right off the bat.

Shoes. Rawr.

I was flipping through older posts on the blog Chic on the Cheap (creating this blog has led me to discover tons of fun new ones) and came across this entry about the shoe company Irregular Choice. I was stunned that no one told me about this place before. There are so many pairs I love!

I'm currently using a Google converter to see just how much each translates to in U.S. dollars. Maybe if I could pick just one and save up? I'm leaning towards the union jack shoe, which is about $75 U.S. Not terrible.

My Blog is Mad at Me.

Ignore my mess while I figure out why it's sulking!

My biggest problem with Blogger so far is the spacing. I say one space between paragraphs, and sometimes it's one, sometimes it's four. Not sure what I'm doing...

Emma Stone Crush.

So last night I finally saw Zombieland, after being told repeatedly it was “awesome”. While it wasn’t my favorite movie of all time, it was definitely solid fun. And whatever the chick version of a man crush is, I totally developed one on Emma Stone.

I liked her a lot in Superbad, the only other movie I can think of that I’ve seen her in. She was cute, fun and relaxed. In Zombieland I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. She had this real cool tough chick biker look but was still laid back, approachable, girl next door.

I loved her clothes, I loved her makeup, I found her face to be beautiful and interesting and her character really likeable. Mostly I was fascinated with her hair. For the first time since I hacked all of mine off almost a year ago, I ached a bit for long hair. I’ve always found short, punky styles more fun, but if I could find a way to get her hair tomorrow I would love to give it a try. I think the bangs really do it for me. Extensions, maybe?

What I Wore Today.

What I Wore entries are always my favorite when reading other people’s blogs. It’s always fun to see someone’s inspirations and ideas, but it’s far more fun to see what they actually do with them in everyday life. Is she the kind of woman who covets Gucci but shops Old Navy? It just interests me.

Yesterday The Boyfriend and I went to my favorite vintage store to see if we could find some finishing touches for his Halloween costume. While scanning racks for the ultimate rugged band shirt, he came across a $5 black t-shirt featuring Shredder from the Ninja Turtles wailing on an electric guitar. I promptly claimed it for myself.

I wanted to wear it immediately, but while my work is pretty relaxed about attire, they draw the line at baggy t-shirts. Enter: my genius. The shirt in the picture is a sad wannabe Shredder shirt standing in for my glorious one (that seems to have been created as an advertisment for August Burnsred, whatever that is).

Now that I have my camera- action shots (forgive the messy apartment- best photo area is unfortunately also where everything gets dumped when I come home):

I need darker skinny jeans, as these highlight my less-than-slender thighs. But other than that, pretty jazzed about it. Also would be great if they were the kind that rouched on the bottom- these pull back and forth wherever the booties lead them. Oh, and Shredder. Let's not forget Shredder.

New Years Already?

So, my boyfriend is a rockstar.

His band, usually slated to play New Years at a dive bar in my old college town's party district, has been asked to play the main stage of the town's New Years party. To give perspective, Eve 6 was the band last year. Essentially, he and his three bandmates will playing for 10,000 people. It's a bit intense.

I've decided it will be a lot of fun, despite ditching my own plans for partying in the city. He's also threatened to pull me up on stage at midnight and kiss me in front of those 10,000 people. I was already excited to plan my outfit, but yeesh. That's a lot of eyes.

Originally I just wanted to go nuts with sequins. It's New Years! Then I found this dress at Forever21 while looking for Renn Faire tights. It's from their Twist Collection, which apparently just means "kinda punky".

It's shamelessly similar to the Jeffrey dress from Project Runway, of course, down to the zipper details on the seams. But I'm very okay with that. The picture really doesn't do it justice.

I had no intention of finding something this ridiculously early, and still have plenty of time to get tired of this dress and decide on a different one for New Years. But it's definitely a contender. I just need to figure out how to color it up, and warm it up for December. Any suggestions would be very helpful! It's definitely Polyvore time. My big requirements:

1. Something to give it color. I love color, and I'm a pale girl with dark hair now. Black and grey give me a distinctly gothic look.

2. Something to warm it up. December in Kansas is not so warm.

3. Possibly a biggish purse. I do like to carry backup comfortable shoes when I go party. I change into them when I'm so drunk that looking kind of goofy is a fair trade for relieving my feet.

Here are a few ideas:

Any jacket I'd wear would be open, of course, because the corseted top of the dress is too cool. I realize the colors and various pieces are a bit scattered and odd, but that's just how I dress. I prefer to err on the side of just a little too much. Especially for New Years! Any other suggestions for me on warming/funkying/coloring this gray and black dress up?

The Turnout.

After a few days with my new brown hair, I'm actually growing to love it. Here are some photos of me rocking it at the Renn Faire:

A fairy Myspace photo in a mirror I found in a fairy hangout.

The last photo is also a demonstration of how I eventually got my Eve dress into a fairy dress. I couldn't find any green tights except for drab military green. Knowing I would never wear them again, I opted for gray instead. It was too cold to get away with the little sweater I bought to go over it (plus butt coverage was an issue) so I wore my new coat instead (held down the dress better in the back). My brother said fairies don't wear coats, but I told him I was a 10th Kingdom fairy. Everyone seemed to wear pea coats in that mini-series.

The leaves on the dress look pretty pathetic here, but there are actually quite a few. The entire chest area is leaves. You can't really see the top. I just put a green t-shirt under the dress, which looked a goofy from the back.

I ended up wearing my coat for everything but this demonstration of my strength, so it wasn't a big deal. I also saw two or three other girls with my Target boots around, so I'm happy to see other people are finding them. I went shopping for a few hours, then walked around the faire from 2pm to 6pm and they didn't hurt my feet. My feet and legs were SORE, definitely, and still are, but no more so than with sneakers. I really need to buy another pair of these boots to have as a backup. They are too perfect.

Halloween to Renn Faire.

My little sister works at the local Rennaisance Faire. I always have a blast when I go, and make a point to visit a few times during the season. A lot of people dress up when they go, which is something I've always admired but never quite committed to doing myself. One time I wore a flowy white shirt, a bandana on my head and drew an eye patch on my face with eyeliner. I had a blast, but it wasn't exactly a costume.

Renn Faire costumes can be expensive, and for a very rarely used occassional outift like that it's hard for me to justify spending any real money.

Enter: My Halloween costume.

This year I'm finally going to do the idea I've been sitting on for years- Eve. As in, Adam and. I found my costume at about $20 less than the average price by trolling around the internet.

It doesn't look nearly as slutty on me, as my boobs are significantly less huge. It's actually pretty cute. It's also very fairy-like. Because it is cold, and because I do not want to look trashy, and because I'll be spending the day with my little brother (21 years old, but still), I want to use the dress but tone it down. Accuracy and realism isn't important to a girl who drew an eyepatch on her face, so my rules are flexible. This is my plan:

I have the boots (Target, about $30 and very comfortable), and a giant pink flower for my hair. I'll do my makeup very airy and colorful and fun. Lots of sparkle. All I'll need is a simple green t-shirt (worn underneath the dress) and tights, both for modesty and for warmth. I have a fun pair of fairy wings I bought a few years back, so that's taken care of too. Now, the only problem is I'll probably need to wear my coat...

The Great Coat Quest.

Fourish years ago my parents bought me a winter coat, because I was a broke college sophomore. It was a black Dollhouse peacoat with an empire waist- tighter just under the girls and then it flared out into an A-line skirt. We got it for a steal because a salesgirl put it on a sale rack by accident.

This coat has been my one-and-only winter staple ever since. It’s stylish but warm. I tend to dress the same all year round, adding only a coat and possibly tights to modify my clothes for winter. So warmth is very important.

About two years ago my coat started to die. Holes appeared. Buttons popped off. I sewed them back on over and over until finally they just broke. The coat began to pill pretty badly. I started looking like a hobo. I started looking for a new coat. I’ve been looking ever since.

It was surprisingly hard for me to find a new coat. I wanted something stylish and form-fitting, but loose enough to fit a hoodie under. I wanted a bright red, or blue, or something else eye-catching. I wanted some edge to it, something fun and funky. It also had to be WARM.

I found basically two kinds of coat. Thin, cute coats, and thick, warm, style-less coats. I ordered a few online and always sent them back for sizing or warmth reasons. I googled endlessly and stalked sales after the winter was over. I gave up. The next year came, the old coat came out and the quest began anew. I went from fall to spring looking for The Coat. I gave up again.

This year rolled around and I was determined. I began accepting black and grey again, rather than exclusively color, in hopes of widening the pool. I stalked a Betsey Johnson coat all over Overstock, and settled on it just as it sold out. A later visit to the Betsey Johnson store a few blocks from my apartment (be jealous) proved her wool pea coats to be lacking in warmth anyway.

I ordered this Miss Sixty coat in purple a few weeks ago and have been deliberately trying not to get excited. I scored it on Overstock, so about half the price it normally would have been.

This morning I crawled out of my warm, friendly bed early to make sure I got the package before work. I tried it on, and I think we have a winner. I’m pretty excited. It’s a little less warm than my Dollhouse coat, but warm enough to suit me. It’s a really pretty purple in real life. It’s slightly boxy, but that makes room for layering. I performed the ever-dreaded tag removal yesterday. No returning it!

It's more like this color in real life, rather than the very dark purple of the Overstock photo. I am very pleasantly surprised. I LOVE color.

Action shots to follow after I stop being lazy. Also, I got my hair colored yesterday. It's a bit intense. Photos soon, I promise.

Hair and Boots.

I got the red rain boots today. I don't know. I'm not smitten. They are the shoe equivalent of the hot guy in the dark bar who isn't as cute as you remember on next week's date. They're not awful though. Maybe they have a great personality.
I'm staring at them, sitting on the floor next to my computer chair (read: dining room chair pulled in front of the computer). They look a bit defeated. I haven't decided to return them just yet. Possibly because it's raining hellishly outside and my socks are wet. Might still order those Charlotte Russe ones when I get paid and see how they do. I guess for about $20, it's just better to hang on to them and play around with them. I think the issue is that they're still kinda stumpy and short looking. Not the veritable riding boot of rubber I had imagined.

In other news, I'm coloring my hair. I have only ventured as far as highlights my entire life. Last week I decided to branch out, and plopped a pretty penny (alliteration!) down for a color that turned out almost the same as what I went in with. HairGuy has politely offered to redo it. I'm thinking of going from this:

Which is actually less blonde-looking than it is in real life (due to the fact that I'm standing in one of those dark bars mentioned earlier), to something like this:

I like Cameron's color the most, and the idea of lighter chunks in it like Miss Punksalot has here. Probably going to stick with the caramel colors versus the blonde though, as I'm going into a more corporate office soon. I include Michelle Trachtenberg even though her hair is a bit dark just because I'm pumped at how dark hair might look on my super pale skin.


Wish me luck!

Fierce!

I'm not a rabid follower of designers, but I do enjoy looking at pictures from shows and keeping track of my favorites (mmmmm... Zac Posen).

So Chrisitan Siriano, my favorite Project Runway star, has been making shoes for Payless. We know this already, correct?

I missed his spring 2009 collection completely, but found out about the whole thing in time to grab the shoes I feel were the best from the fall 2009 (at bottom of post). Again, the Payless version, not the original. I am but a lowly editor and do not make the mad monies. Besides, I like the dumbed-down Payless version a bit more anyway. They’re more realistic for the places I’ll be able to wear them.

I was pretty put out when I realized Christian was making a signing/new shoe previewing stop at a mall nearby. Of course, during my work hours yesterday. I stopped by Payless the day before and heard a salesgirl whispering to some customers about his shoes, then usher them to the back. Argh.

Anyway.

I’ve seen the runway versions already for 2010:

I'm not in love with them altogether. I'm especially not feeling the heel. I know it's an artistic statement, I just think it's not that pretty. Aside from the freaky heel, I really like the blue ones and would buy one or both if that part was toned down. I'm kind of hoping that happens for Payless.

I know, I know. Ewwww, Payless. Before recently, I had purchased one pair of shoes there in my lifetime, and I returned them a few days later. I find their shoes to be generally cheap and uncomfortable. But I was pleasantly surprised when I ordered these from Siriano's fall line:

I won't lie to you and say they are total dreams to wear, but in person they look to be of about the same quality as your average Steve Madden shoe. I'd say about that comfortable too. Not amazing, but they don't look or feel totally cheap. With some sock help I'm able to wear them on a minimal walking, office work kind of day and I'm fine. I spent as much on these as I typically spend on my Madden heels on sale (and these booties are still on Payless.com, as of today).

Are you digging these at all? I'm totally eating up this Designer on the Cheap gig in a way that I never did with Target. It might just be because Christian is so adorable, and because the finished product still looks edgy enough to be designer- something the Target designer series doesn't seem to pull off very often.

Sequin Tights.

Ever since I saw Heidi Klum rocking black sequin tights on Project Runway a few weeks ago, I've been thinking about them a lot. I have a thing for sequins in general, but the tops and dresses I've tried always seem to hang on me funny. My creativity with fashion is relatively new, and I'll admit I'm a bit stumped as to how I could incorporate the tights into my wardrobe in a way that makes sense.

These are two ways I came up with. Out of these sets, I only have the shoes. But the rest of the clothes seem like they'd be simple enough to find.

I don't know. I love the first one, and the second one is alright. I'll have to play with this for a little while. Suggestions welcome.