When Not to Shop the Clearance Racks

Four months since my last post and now, finally, I am b a c k. This whole adulting thing (i.e. having a career, going grocery shopping, buying your first car, etc.) can be pretty time consuming and in my case, had me very preoccupied / disenchanted with blogging. Yesterday however, I had a chance encounter in TJ Maxx that made me feel like I needed to log into my blogger account and share with the world.

Here's what happened...

I was dressed in my favorite boyfriend jeans (the same ones you saw here and here), scoping out furry throw pillows (my latest obsession) when I came across the prettiest plum-colored, knee-high boots, I ever did see. I rushed over to admire the bad boys and when I looked down to see that there were only two pair in the store, the display being a size 8 1/2 (my size!) I knew that I at least had to try them on....

Well, if you've ever tried on a lust worthy shoe before, you know that once you try it on, you pretty much own it. In the case of Kierra vs the pretty Kate Spade Saturday Plum Knee - High boots...well, I did something I don't normally do. 

I bought the damn boots -- at full price. 

The damn boots. 

That's right, I forked over the whole $XXX.99 that T.J. Maxx was asking for them(which was actually a great price for the regularly $295 suckers)and saved myself 1)The hassle of going back every week to see if they had been marked down, yet & 2) The potential heartbreak of someone else buying them. 

So, here's my advice to all of you out there who like me, make the clearance rack your first stop in a store. Pay full price if and when: 

It's a Novel Item -- basically, you can't walk into Target or Forever21 (btw, are we still shopping there?)and find one million other items that look just like it. 

It's High Quality-- You can never go wrong with investing in quality, whether it be quality pieces for your wardrobe or your home.

You Can Actually Afford It -- Hey, every now and then it's OK to ball on a budget. Full price at T.J. Maxx isn't necessarily full price at Neiman Marcus or Saks and in my case, buying the boots wasn't resulting in me eating Ramen Noodles for the rest of the month...so, why not indulge in moderation?  

 

Fall Essentials

1. Aryn K Coat of Arms Royal Blue  // 2. Altuzarra for Target Red Velvet Tuxedo// 3. Michael Kors Kiera Ballet Flat// 4. Kate Spade Delsie Flat // 5. House of Harlow Jordana Shades // 6. Christian Louboutin So Kate Nude Pumps // 7.Quilted Faux- Leather Mini // 8. Altuzarra for Target Over-the-Knee Boot 

I don't know what's gotten into me lately, but I am craving cooler temperatures. Well, if I'm being 100 percent honest, I think it may have a lot to do with these eight items that I want to see added to my fall wardrobe. I'm absolutely loving the rich colors and variety of textures! 

Purple Reign

Top: Zara (thrifted) / Jeans: Gap / Purse: Kate Spade / Pumps: Steve Madden / Shades: Rue21 

On this month's cover of Essence magazine is music legend, Prince, who turned 56 on Saturday. In the magazine, Prince shares his [recent] decision to refrain from using profanity in his music. Though for many people Prince, the artist, is synonymous with racy lyrics and good music, for me, mention of Prince elicits thoughts of curls, platform heels and of course, a long purple trench coat. Even though this outfit doesn't quite match the grandiosity of something Prince would likely wear, the richness of the purple hue and silky texture of the top made me think of him and his Purple Rain music video nonetheless. 

I came across this purple silk tunic in Goodwill one day last week, and despite its enormity, had to have. Purple is not a color I wear often, so the uniqueness of this color to my wardrobe only made me want it more. Before long I'm going to have to retire these ripped jeans, but for as long as I can still wiggle my way into them, I plan to keep them around. I threw these on with the top to add a little bit of a grungy edge to the look, but sprinkled back in hints of prissiness with my pink and purple snakeskin pumps and hot pink Kate Spade. I wore this to my younger cousin's graduation party for something that was casual and youthful, but most of all, sophisticated. I have plans of belting this tunic so that it can be worn as a dress. I guess one good thing about it being so blousy is that its pretty versatile. 

A Wall of Roses

Every now and then we are all have the humbling experience of eating our own words, and unfortunately I had to do so on my birthday. On Mother's Day I was scrolling through my Instagram feed and came across a post by Kim Kardashian of what at first glance looked like a giant rice krsispy treat sitting on grass. The caption revealed that it was instead a giant wall of roses given to her by her fiance, Kanye West. The first thing out of my mouth was, "What in the World is she going to do with a wall of roses?"  Well, when I arrived at Lucky 32 for my birthday dinner and found  on the exterior of the restaurant was a gorgeous wall of  knockout roses I immediately answered my own sarcasm filled question--

 Take pictures, duh!  Though the wall didn't quite compare to Kim's it was still beautiful none the less. 

This black and white gingham dress was so light and airy and the perfect ensemble for the evening. Gingham is one the trends that was featured a lot on the runway during Spring 2014 Fashion Week so I was excited to finally be able to incorporate it into my wardrobe. With my strappy black sandals and bright lips, I think I managed to look chic and sophisticated, a modern day Dorothy.

Kim and I used a wall of roses to take pictures, what would you use it for?

Girl About Town

Shirt: The Limited / Shorts: Marilyn Monroe / Shoes: Nine West via TJ Maxx/ Purse: Kate Spade / Bracelet: Express

Yesterday I celebrated 22 years of living in  hot pink hot pants, my precious Kate Spade bag and a new hot pink lip. I purchased these shorts last week while wasting time before getting my hair done and didn't try them on until yesterday morning. Though my first thought when I put them on was, "these are little shorter than I thought they would be," I couldn't resist their color and decided to indulge just this once for my birthday. Once I was dressed, I couldn't help but feel that in some way my outfit was lacking, so I made a trip to the MAC counter for a fun pink lip! 

I've never felt comfortable enough to wear pink lipstick before, so this shopping trip was somewhat of big deal. I tried on several shades of pink, until I finally settled on "Girl About Town." The girl at the counter tried to persuade me into "Pink Pigeon," but I wasn't a fan of the matte finish. She kept trying to entice me into buying it saying, "but this is the new style" and "not many people have this color yet." Despite her persuasions, at 22 I've learned that it's not so much about fitting in as it is being comfortable. I brought "Girl About Town" and confidently sported my pink lips around town as I did some birthday shopping. 

This was the perfect birthday outfit for me in that it was girly, simple and pink. 

Classy in Camo

Shirt- C/O: Deb / Jeans- C/O: Deb/ Shoes- C/O: Deb/ Necklace- C/O: Deb / Purse- Kate Spade

My all time favorite quote comes from the oh so stylish Coco Chanel, "A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous." Despite my commitment to being just that -- classy and fabulous-- I was able to rock two of the grungiest trends of the season: ripped jeans and camo print, without losing an ounce of class.

Since heels are an instant way to add feminine flair to any look, I paired with the distressed denim and camo these fantastic heels and for even more of a girly vibe, this neon stone necklace (all courtesy of deb!). Although I love trying new trends, its always important to me that I stay true to my own personal style. The ripped jeans took me a bit out of my comfort zone, but adding in the touches of pink, along with the heels put me back in my element. My quilted Kate Spade purse was the icing on the cake though, instantly giving the outfit an element of class.

What do you think of this Classy in Camo look?

 

Kierra as Kiki Homemaker

I guess the title of this post could be a little misleading given that I'm not a homemaker, but something about this outfit did make me feel Joan Cleaver-esque. 

Dress: Gap

Blazer: Nordstrom (Thrifted) Shoes: Madden Girl (similar) Bag: Kate Spade

Largely because of the A-line shape of my dress and the bold bright colors, I feel like I could have easily fit the role of a 1960s housewife ...too bad I can't cook. I wore this outfit to church on Sunday, and because it can get a little cool in the building, I threw on my sherbert colored blazer. I accessorized with a baby pink and gold spiked necklace I got from the flea market while on vacation in Hawaii, my Michael Kors watch, and multi-colored snake print pumps. My favorite accessory of the day however had to be my new hot pink Kate Spade purse, also one of the goodies I brought back from Hawaii! 

I think subconsciously I knew what I was doing as I was putting this outfit together, because one of my favorite music videos just so happens to be Beyonce's Why Don't You Love Me, in which she portrays a 1960s (scorned) housewife, by the name of  B.B. Homemaker. I've watched it a million times. Check it out below.