I'm In Love: Inslee By Design

I am a sucker for beautiful pictures, fashion, and talented people, so it took me all of 10 seconds to check out Inslee By Design when I saw this illustration on Pinterest:

Source: Uploaded by user via Amber on Pinterest

How wonderful is that?!  The details are perfect, and my new goal is to commission a family picture (with N and pups) for our next Christmas card.  Another wonderful thing is that Inslee has an online store, and her 8x10 prints are all $20 or less!  I think a collection of these prints would be perfect for a girly space like an office (that isn't shared) or a dressing area.

These are my favorites:

Source: inslee.net via Haley on Pinterest

Source: inslee.net via Haley on Pinterest

Source: inslee.net via Haley on Pinterest

Source: inslee.net via Haley on Pinterest

Source: inslee.net via Haley on Pinterest

Source: inslee.net via Haley on Pinterest

Inslee also has a blog on her site, which I'll be checking out each week for a little bit of eye candy.

What illustration is your favorite?  I'm in love with the Pop of Color print (lady with flower in her hair) and can see it as part of my gallery wall.  Very tempting, indeed...

Reader Request: Styling a Striped Cardigan

This week's reader request comes from Sarah, of Life: An Observation and it is right up my alley.  She just got this cute striped cardigan and wants some ideas on how to wear it.  Since cardigans make up about 1/4 of my closet, I was happy to oblige.

The real cardigan, since Polyvore won't import it:

And here's how I'd style it right now, at work, and when it warms up later in the year:

striped cardigan now, at work, and later by cardiganjunkie featuring platform pumps

I think jewel tones look great with black and white, and you can't go wrong with dark wash straight leg jeans and a classic trench this winter.   The same cardigan will also look nice with a bright skirt and white or black blouse for the office.  And finally, as it starts to get warmer you can layer the cardigan over a chambray button down (or tank top) this spring when the weather starts to cool down at night.

Hopefully this was helpful!  If you'd like a post like this, just email me at cardiganjunkie at gmail dot com and I'll be happy to help!

Weekend Recap: Jean Paul Gaultier + Blogger Brunch

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  Mine was busy, but I'm ready for another week of work before the Gilt Warehouse Sale in Dallas on Saturday morning (who else is going?).

Yesterday, I finally made my way to the Dallas Museum of Art to take in the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit, and it was absolutely amazing.  I highly encourage everyone in this general area of the country to come see it before it departs for San Francisco in a few weeks.  Never again will I be inches away from haute couture and so completely in awe of the craftsmanship and artistic point of view.

I wasn't allowed to take pictures, but the local media outlets were and I wanted to share some photos of the exhibit so you can feel like you were there too:

 

Some of the mannequins had faces projected onto them so that they blinked, spoke and appeared incredibly/creepily lifelike, and there were pieces spanning almost 40 years of collections.  There were more corsets and conical bras than you will ever see in one room again, and various gowns worn by the likes of Marion Cotillard, Dita VonTeese, and Sarah Jessica Parker.  I loved it. 

I also found this blog from the DMA curators to be really interesting, and it gave me quite an appreciation for what went into installing the exhibit I enjoyed. 

Besides staring at fashion on Sunday afternoon, I also got the chance to spend Saturday morning with several amazing local bloggers who will be attending the Texas Style Council conference in March.  I secured a roommate for the weekend (Michelle at Spangled Paraphernalia) and got to meet Elissa of Dress With Courage, whose point of view and talent for thrifting makes me want to dig through racks of old clothes.  I'm excited to meet new friends who don't think I'm weird to be writing this right now, and look forward to making many more in March.

Hopefully you all had a great weekend!  Has anyone else been to the Gaultier exhibit?  What did you think?!

Chambray Shirt Bargain + What I Wore

Happy Friday!  Hopefully you all had a great week.  Mine was busy, but punctuated with the arrival of some online purchases that I was pumped about.  (My shopping guilt was assauged by money I'm guaranteed to make with my eBay sales.)

One of the boxes (some shoes from Gilt that I bought with credits) went back in the mail, but my J.Crew Factory package was fabulous and I wanted to share one of my deals with you.

Voila - the perfect chambray shirt made of high quality fabric, for $55 before any coupon codes.  I got mine 30% off, and if you enter promo code MUSTHAVE today (1/20) you can get 30% off as well.  I also got a cute flannel shirt for $8 that's not online anymore, but it's still in stores.

I'm so glad I waited for the right option instead of buying the too-thin and too wide in the waist version from Old Navy.  Plus, I love how it looks very similar to this $98 version on the regular J.Crew site.

Exciting, huh?  I thought so.

And now, since so many people liked it before, here's what I wore this week:

what i wore to work 2 by cardiganjunkie featuring high heel boots

I hope everyone has a great weekend!  See ya Monday!

Shoes for teenagers... and me.

I am usually one of the first one to announce that buying quality shoes is one of the top shopping commandments.  I've had my poor feet maimed by deceptively cute shoes from Target, and am always glad to have invested in good quality heels that don't give me blisters.

However, I sometimes make an exception.  I don't like investing in trends until I know they're going to be around a while, and since my shopping budget is $50-100 per month I cannot afford to spring for the $280 version of my favorite styles.  Or any style.  Thank goodness for juniors retailers like Lulu's, where you can find some really cute styles for under $40 (except the the blue wedges).

In a moment of weakness, I ordered the green flats with the gold medallion because they're $18 and I've already made more than that in my eBay auctions.  I'll let you know how they work out!

Where do you stand on cheap shoes?  Do you always go for quality, or make the occasional exception like me?

Fine, I'll share. Here's where you can get a $45 bubble necklace.

I know that knockoffs are a touchy subject in blogland.  Nobody would want a design of their own reproduced and sold for much less, and I get that.  However, I am not so sympathetic to the needs of J.Crew that I would pass up a look I love at a price I can actually afford. 

Since I keep getting strangers coming up to me and asking about my necklace, and keep seeing more and more bubble necklaces popping up on Pinterest, I've decided to share my little secret.

If you love this necklace but can't swing the $150 price...

You can buy a similar one from a shop called basilthecat on Etsy.  Mine is very vibrant and sturdy and I freaking love it.  I got it last year when the trend first surfaced, and never looked back.  I also have a gray version (from another seller) and see that and red available for order. 

So, now you can rock the trend for a third of the price.  However, my real life friends are hereby forbidden from ordering the teal version.  :)