Something Borrowed, Something Blue....

No, I'm NOT Getting married but real soon I will have something EXTRA sophisticated and NEW to share with all of you.

Stay tuned! 

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?  

 

When in Mexico...

...of course you visit a tequila factory...

Dress: c/o The Mint Julep Boutique / Sandals: Ann Taylor Factory /Crossbody: T.J.Maxx /Shades: Ross /Cuff: Thrifted 

And duh you wear a cute little frock like this Down on the Beach dress from The Mint Julep Boutique! After a fun filled day of exploring the Cayman Islands our ship arrived at Port in Cozumel, Mexico and I stepped off of the ship in this tie-dyed number itching to stick my feet in some water (and maybe to get my hands on a margarita or two)! I succeeded in doing both, but not before we took a tour of the Hacienda Antigua Tequila History and Process Tour. 

Though it was hot in the Cayman Islands, it was about 10x hotter in Cozumel so I was happy to be wearing something as flowy as this dress, which on this particular day also doubled as a cover up for my bikini! 

The Mint Julep Boutique is full of gems like this dress at such affordable prices, which is why Ii'm super excited to share that we've partnered up to offer one lucky reader of So Sophisticated. 1992 with a $25 gift card to shop with. Entry into the giveaway is simple: 

1. Follow @sophistikated92 on Instagram 

2. Follow @shopthemint on Instagram

3. Leave a comment below with a link to the item from The Mint Julep that you would like to make yours! 

Citron

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Shades: Ivanka Trump / Top: Forever21 / Shorts: Forever21 / Clutch: T.J. Maxx/ Sandals: Ann Taylor Factory  

After a fun day at sea on Tuesday, our cruise ship pulled into port at the Grand Cayman Islands first thing Wednesday morning. I hoped off the boat in this completely irresistible citron colored two-piece short set from Forever21. The instant I laid my eyes on it hanging amid some sweaters, I knew that I just had to have it. Here lately, Forever21 has been hit or miss for me (mostly miss) but this outfit may have turned me back into a believer. 

Citron is a color that is everywhere this Spring and for many people  (myself included) can be a tricky color to pull off! On this particular day it worked for me because I had the opportunity to spend some time in the sun and was a little darker, and also because I managed to break some of the citrusey hue up with a) my exposed midriff and b)my cobalt blue cross-body/clutch. 

The Grand Cayman Island is as you can see, absolutely beautiful!It seemed like everywhere we went on the island I kept running across blue backgrounds -- ironic as that was the color I chose to accessorize with. This textured short set was completely breathable in the island air and if you ask me the perfect get up for a day filled with exploring a Caribbean island.

 

Bon Voyage

Dress: Sears / Necklace: H&M / Shades: Ivanka Trump / Sandals: Steve Madden 

Oh to be back in the middle of the Caribbean sea soaking up the sun! Last week I embarked on a 5-day cruise to the Grand Cayman Islands as well as Cozumel, Mexico with my family. It's been such a long time since I was able to join them on a legitimate vacation so I was so ecstatic for the time away from work to spend with them.

For this trip, we opted to drive from NC to Port Tampa -- a 10 hour drive. I decided to wear this super comfy and sassy purple maxi from Sears for the long car ride. It was also, ideal for our sail away from the port. Purple is not a color that I wear often nor is Sears a store that I normally shop, so everything about this dress was pretty unique to me. Can't wait to share more pictures from my vacation!