Casual Friday

Katie — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:58:21 +0000

J.Crew top (love this color), J.Crew Factory cardigan, Gap jeans, Boutique 9 heels, J.Crew purse, Gap Sunglasses, J.Crew link bracelets, gifted Icing “Love” bracelet, Charming Charlie earrings

I love a good casual friday outfit. I of course love dressing up and definitely don’t mind my pencil skirts and dresses during the week but there’s just something about dressing down on Friday to kick off the weekend. Happy Friday!!

Stripe on Stripe

Katie — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:49:43 +0000

Old Navy tee and vest, J.Crew Factory skirt, Sam Edelman heels (I think I need the coral ones, right?), J.Crew bracelets, J.Crew Factory necklace, Forever 21 sunglasses, 3.1 Phillip Lim bag

I’ve been loving on my denim vest this spring and it just seemed to the be perfect topper to this stripe on stripe ensemble featuring my new leading lady, as introduced yesterday, Ms. Pashli.

Splurge Worthy

Katie — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:12 +0000

Since I like to keep things budget friendly here on Pearls & Twirls I wanted to share my splurge journey with you in an attempt to ~~justify~~ confess my recent handbag purchase. For starters I don’t own and have never purchased a designer piece. No LV handbag, no Burberry trench and certainly no Louboutin heels. As a blogger it’s so easy to see so-and-so’s Celine bag and Jimmy Choo heels and feel like it’s ordinary to own or be able to regularly splurge on these items. Well….IT’S NOT! Not for normal girls at least. And even though I paid cash (ok credit card but I immediately paid it off) it’s a lot of money. A lot of money that could have gone a lot of other places. But do we deserve a treat every now and again? Heck to the yes and let me tell you, I’ve worked my booty off lately. This splurge was 100% for me, because I love it, because I deserve it and because I wanted it, dang-it! So here we are. Meet Ms. Pashli.

She’s big, she’s bold and she’s going to be making a regular appearance here on Pearls & Twirls (outfit post coming tomorrow)! Since I’ve made this big splurge I wanted to share a few pointers for those of you who may be considering a splurge and how to totally justify your purchase and not get yourself into debt by splurging on something you love.

1. Do you love it? Love it like when you see it you get excited, think about it often and still love it? For me I’ve loved this style for MONTHS and am still totally in love!
2. Can you afford it? And no, I don’t mean right now can you pay cash and still have money to eat afford it (I certainly can’t) I mean, if you make some sacrifices over time, could you afford it? And a little tip: timing is everything with splurges (tax return season anyone?)
3. What can you do to save or make a little extra to toward your purchase? For me I picked up several extra baton lessons, sold clothes on Poshmark and even worked a few odd jobs when available to make a few extra dollars.
4. Is it totally worth it to you? Again, for me, yes. I’ve been wanting to make my first designer purchase for a long time and this bag is seriously amazing. It’s perfect for me as it’s huge and can fit my camera, ipad, laptop and lots of extras for when I’m on the go. I almost broke and went for the Tory Burch Robinson because with the Friends and Family 25% off sale it was literally half the price of this one and I also like that bag. But my feelings weren’t as strong. I LOVE this bag.
5. Lastly, is a discount code possible?? Spoken from a true bargain shopper I’m always trying to get a deal. Unfortunately most high end designers don’t honor discount codes but I’ll let you in on a little secret. If you sign up for Saks email they send you a 10% off code within a day. With NO EXCLUSIONS! So I got this bag for 10% off…score!

Tuesday Twirls: Vieta Giveaway

Katie — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:41 +0000

Today I’m giving away this amazing VIETA clutch! I was ever so graciously gifted a bag of my choice from VIETA and I immediately headed to the clutch section and this hot pink beauty just jumped out at me. I decided to get one for myself (seen here) and one for one of you! The inside of this clutch is the perfect size for an iPad and this is so ideal for the girl on the go!

And now for the contest! Just enter below and the winner will be announced a week from today! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

North vs. South: Mixed Prints

Katie — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:00:18 +0000

We’re mixing up prints for the final week of North vs. South Style (sad face)! Don’t you just love everyone’s looks? So fun, so colorful and I love how different everyone is!

Lex What Wear / Pink Champagne / The Right Shoes / Glitter and Gingham / Julie Leah

J.Crew skirt, J.Crew Factory shirt, BCBG generation shoes via TJ Maxx (similar), Kate Spade purse (very similar), J.Crew and Kate Spade bracelets, J.Crew factory and jewelry show necklaces (similar from t + j designs).

For today’s mixed prints I decided to go with a full on southern style outfit pairing gingham and my favorite floral skirt. My advice for those who may not feel ready to mix prints or may not feel confident mixing and matching is to try as many combos as possible! I personally love mixing and matching all prints but polka dots and stripes are super easy prints to start out with! Want to join in on our mixed prints? Use the hashtag #NorthvSouthStyle to show us how you’re rocking your mixed prints! Happy Mixing!