STYLE: Lands' End Haul

It is undeniable that one of the best parts about working in fashion is getting a discount on all the clothes you were going to buy anyway. I mean, apart from the fact that you're doing something you love every day...disclaimer: no one go into the fashion industry just for discounted things. It's not really that big of a deal.

But actually it is.

So anyway, since my internship ended on Wednesday (see some of my tweets about it on Twitter or view my farewell blog post here), I spent the week prior finding anything and everything I felt that I needed before I left. Most of the items there tend to skew a little older (and by that I mean 35+) but there are quite a few classic things that never go out of style, regardless of age. Take the puffer vest above. It's technically a "uniform" piece, but who doesn't love a good down vest to throw over a sweater on chilly fall nights? It's going to be absolutely perfect. 

Another easy item was the pair of flip flops. They were on super clearance as all the fall collection items have already gone online, but a pair of tan leather and gold flip flops are going to be perfect for any summer. I've already worn them a couple of times, and they do rub a bit if you're going to be doing any long haul walking, but they're perfect for when you want a laid back sandal. I used to just go crazy and buy 10 pairs of $1 flip flops at the Old Navy sale, but by next summer I'll be 22 and out of college (as if that is so old) and I feel like I need to at least own a pair of nice flip flops that don't reflect the dirt cheap price. 

Moving on to something a little more seasonably appropriate, this pair of suede booties could not be passed up. These aren't something I would usually pick up, I don't have the money to spring for the full priced version (even though the quality is completely worth it), but these were actually a pair that they used for a photo shoot so their price was majorly discounted! Some people might be weirded out by wearing shoes someone else has already worn, but my theory is that if a model wore them, then I'll look more model-esque by virtue of having the same pair. This somewhat flawed logic is also supported by the fact that I'm 100% certain she didn't wear them for more than a couple hours. So whichever camp of logic you fall into, it's a win.

And my last, and potentially favorite, purchase is this adorable iPad case. Some of you who follow me on Twitter might already know that last semester I won an iPad through a contest at school, and I've been avoiding carrying it anywhere because I hadn't found a case I really cared much for. I don't like cases that make things significantly heavier, but also wanted something that would protect the front and back panels. Voila! This hilariously adorable penguin case pretty well just fell into my lap, so I couldn't pass it up. The materials are a little heavy for the summer months, but come October the velour backing and thick stitch front will fit quite nicely into a brown leather handbag.

That is all I have to show for my shopping trip through the company, but not for a lack of findings. I just knew I wouldn't have too much space in my car to pack much else. Either way, I'm quite pleased with what I have, and I'll be repping Lands' End across campus this year, that is for sure!

xoxo, Katie

STYLE: Pre-Wedding Shopping Haul

Why hello little readers of mine (all 12 of you left at this point if I'm lucky). Over this weekend I had quite a bit of shopping to do. My step-sister is getting married in The Big Apple this coming week, and the whole gang is flying out there to celebrate. Naturally then, I needed to make sure I looked the part of a fashion student and part time blogger if or when people asked me what I was up to! The above picture is a reflection of the places I went, and while I don't think it's necessary to air out the undergarments I purchased, I will highlight the other treasures I found.

At some point in stumbling through the Internet I think I watched some video about "fashion people" and how they make fun of people who wear ALDO shoes. Am I making this up? Has anyone else seen it? Well that was quite some time ago, but for some reason it had stuck in my much younger mind and I'd subconsciously avoided the place since then.

Well the allure of 50% off clearance shoes was too much to walk by despite my irrational aversion, and I am so happy I crossed that barrier. These bad boys were a complete steal, and the last pair in the entire store. Consequently they are a little bit scruff on the upper section (some sort of very finely cut and brushed suede) but how could I pass them up? I feel so fancy and posh (apparently I'm British now) walking around in these. I have yet to ACTUALLY wear them, however, so the true test is still to come.

So even though I know he was only trying to make a couple extra bucks, the salesman slipped these bad boys into the front of the shoes and I just went for it. I mean, it can't hurt to have a little extra cushion, especially since I'll surely be wearing them for at least a couple of hours at a time. 

The next little gems on the list are my purchases from H&M, and while it may look like I purchased a t-shirt, and Muppet, and a clutch from the 80s, you are oh so wrong.

That maroon blob is really a t-shirt "dress" with the fancy little pre-cuffed sleeves. I put quotations around the word dress simply because it is definitely intended to be a dress on most people, but on me it is of questionable length, especially when I move my arms at all. I might risk wearing it as a dress, but more than likely it'll be thrown over a pair of leggings and layered with necklaces for a super comfy lounge day that doesn't look so sloppy.

Secondly, this jacket is now the #1 reason I can't wait for chillier temperatures. It's a cardigan/collarless jacket that is just so fluffy and textured that it will make just about any outfit feel a little more elevated without being uncomfortable. I've seen more than a few fluffy cardigans floating around the bloggersphere, and I needed to get my hands on one before the weather cooled off. Also- it was only clearance! $40 cardigan for $10 + the 15% student discount. Yes, please.

Last, but never least, is this clutch/bag I also snagged from the clearance aisle. The one side is a velveteen/faux fur and the other is a pretty nice quality faux leather. The zipper is pretty sturdy for H&M standards, but I'll definitely be taking off the gold rope chain. It makes the bag look cheap with the bright gold color, and I really wanted this for a clutch to carry to the festivities anyway- it's a win win!

So I hope you all enjoyed reading a little about what I've bought recently. I actually have another haul coming up last in the week of some things I've bought from my internship company before my discount runs out. Can't pass that up right? But I'm finding it so difficult to photograph clothing hauls! It all just seems to come out looking amateur and rather unprofessional. Please leave me any tips you have in the comments!

xoxo, Katie

LIFESTYLE: Family Weekend + Shopping Haul

As the weekend is upon us once again, I've gotten a little sad about the slump in plans. Looking forward, I have great plans to visit my boyfriend for the 4th of July holiday weekend, and last weekend was an absolute blast because my mom and grandma made the 7 hour drive just for two days with me. I have the best family :)

1. The most amazing blueberry almond oatmeal. I'm normally not a big fan of blueberries, but this might have converted me. The best part? The restaurant is just 15 minutes from my house.

2. My goodies from the weekend. I went a little shopping crazy after actually having people to get out and about with for the first time in a long while.

3. The magazines I picked up for 50% off! You best believe I'll be reading these cover to cover and then using them for an inspiration board + two new lip products (more on those to come later)

4. I let out my inner gypsy with a satin open shoulder peasant top and dangle earrings. I've recently become obsessed with fun earrings. Maybe it's because it's getting to be too hot for statement necklaces.

We had the best time doing touristy things around the area I'm living, showing them where I've been working the last month, and just sitting down and enjoying each other's company. I didn't realize how much I would miss them! It makes me appreciate the time I do have that much more now.

PS- I struggled with where to "categorize" this post. The great thing about categories is that it makes blog planning super easy. I can assign a category to a day of the week and my life is so much simpler! The only snag is when random posts pop up that I want to blog, but don't fit neatly anywhere. So while this may not be a traditional "lifestyle" post, I'm just taking a deep breath and realizing not EVERYTHING has to tuck away neatly. Baby steps.

xoxo, Katie

LIFE: Shopping Snippets

I know that Thursdays are usually a beauty post day, and I had one planned out and everything, but it rained all. freaking. day. yesterday and pictures were just impossible to take inside by house. The lighting is difficult enough to work with on a sunny day, let alone a drizzly mess.

However, the rain didn't stop my sister and I from taking a romp around town for some little things I needed for my room before The Big Move. One of our longest stops was Target, and I happened to remember to bring out my camera to get a few snaps of the goings on.

Of course in true "white girl" fashion we had to stop and get a starbucks for our trip around the store. I like to use the excuse that the town my college is in doesn't have one, so being home makes it a treat. Now that Lands' End has one inside the building I'll be working from, I have no excuse and will have to keep my habits in check.

A look through the dollar bin always proves fun! Although it's turned into the $1 & $3 bins now? When did that happen? Anyway, this basil growing kit made me laugh. Seth loves basil, and I thought this was a cute little kit I would have bought for him if I wouldn't have had to send it through the mail to reach him :( 
And these little candle holders were quite nice quality given that they only cost $1 each. If I was a tea light candle person, I would have bought them.

This little journal was too perfect to pass up. It's the perfect size for throwing in a purse (possibly the one to the right?) for jotting down notes/ideas/etc. I snagged that along with a few other items from the bins, and later this week I'm going to write up a haul post of everything I bought from Target and the two other places we went into. 
I fell deeply and madly in love with this brown purse, but the price tag just didn't warrant the splurge just yet. Especially because I really need a black structured bag more than anything (see my last post here for which one I've got my eye on). Looking at it now, however, I'm glad I didn't spend the money on it. It's photographed quite orange, and that's the trademark of cheap fake brown leather, I feel.

Running errands doesn't require a sacrifice of fashion. It was just as easy to throw on a pair of jeans, a sweater, and low heels as it would have been to wear leggings, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes (and heels don't require laces!). The make-up section of Target has also gotten a makeover since I've last been in. While it is brighter, I felt that it was quite a bit smaller- am I imagining that?

PS- my blog sale is going on through May 29th, so don't miss out on that. Later this evening I'll be updating it with books and shoes, so make sure to follow me on Twitter @styleduckling to know when everything is updated! I'll also be updating periodically with new items and tweeting every time something different goes up. Don't miss out ;)

xoxo, Katie

Instagram Haul- Part 4!

While I am a busy busy bee trying to put together a blog sale to generate some money for an exciting little surprise *cough -new blog design- cough*, I thought it was time for an instagram update. Of course if you follow me, you might have seen these already, but for the readers who do not have an instagram or who just dont follow me (shame on you), these are a snippet into my life you otherwise don't see! Enjoy!

PS- Have you seen my giveaway? You can pick from a whole website full of items. Don't forget to take a look here!

Let's Go Thrifting +Haul.....video!

My first (real) video has gone up on Youtube! I'm so excited, since this has been in the works for quite a while. I managed to figure out that my old camera (that my mom has now) can actually record in HD! So here is the video, conveniently located for your viewing pleasure, but feel free to head over to Youtube and thumbs up my video and subscribe to my channel. It would mean a lot, but without further ado, here it is!

Thrifting Haul

I love thrifting. It's just so much fun. There isn't a thing I don't like about it, honestly, and one thing I love the most is sharing the treasures that I find with other people.

Last week I ventured out to my first Saver's, which is a national thrift store throughout the US, Australia, and Canada. Although it's slightly limited in the US right now, I'm fairly certain they're expanding pretty rapidly since I know they're opening a store just 10 miles down the road from me in March! I'm crossing my fingers to possibly get a job there, although I would probably spend my entire paycheck...

Anyway, I found one about an hour away and these are the treasures I picked up! It's not one of the larger trips I made, but one of my New Year's resolutions is to save more money, which consequently means spending less. Sadly, I had to put back a really nice sweater whilst I was there because I had gone over my personally imposed spending limit *sigh* The struggles of being a college student...

Open Weaver Sweater, $7.99

Sleeveless turtleneck crop sweater, $6.99

Silver chain necklace (worn here), $4.99

Gold spike/triangle necklace, $4.99

On another note, Saturday is going to be *drumroll* MY VERY FIRST YOUTUBE VIDEO!

Now some of you may be saying "oh, but Katie, you've done that before", and yes, I have sort of. However this is going to be a serious attempt at branching out into the Youtube realm for things that I want to add more life too. My first video will be a "come thrifting with me" style video, and I have a few more in the works, but you'll have to check those out for yourself to find out what they are ;) Happy Thursday! (it's only happy because tomorrow is Friday, hehe )

Yard Sales Galore! +Sneak Preview

Hi everyone! Hope you had a marvelous weekend! I spent a lot of mine working, but I managed to go on a yard sale spree Friday morning, and picked up some goodies. That prompted me to make this video and try out the "haul" video idea. It's a little rough, and I'm thinking that I should make these with my camera next time, but I felt as though I really needed to get something to you guys! I've been slacking lately, and I wish I could blame it on being busy, but sadly it's a good ol' case of writers block. Sigh. Hope for the best as I try to get my creative juices flowing.

Do you all have any trade secrets to churning out posts even when you're stuck? 

PS- Feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel and let me know what you think of this in the comments below. I'm always open for positive or negative feedback! (even though I prefer the positive of course, haha)