Havaianas + Threadless Collaboration

I'm a big believer that there is a time and a place for flip flops, but I am also a believer in the comfort and need for Havaianas Flip Flops. I have been faithful to Havaianas for about 5 years now - they are the only flip flops I own and wear. I keep a pair in my car, inside my front door (perfect for kicking off the heels and taking the dogs outside in after a day at work) and under my desk (because once again the heels need to come off sometimes if I need to run out at lunch or tackle closet organization!)


So when I was contacted on behalf of Havaianas* and offered to have a new pair shipped to me I was excited. When I opened the box and saw the gorgeous white and aqua blue pair I was even more thrilled!


This pair is called "Bloombox" by Farhan Hassan who was one of the winners in the Threadless + Havaianas Collaboration Contest. The collection was released on July 12 and features 6 designs (they have matching t-shirts too!).

Just like the tag says, "Flip flops and t-shirts go together like tiny umbrellas and pina coladas, That's why we think the Threadless + Havaianas collaboration is the awesomest!"

To read more about Havaianas and Threadless and their collaboration click here.

*One pair of flip flops and matching t-shirt was provided to me on behalf of Havaianas.

August Outfit Inspiration Calendar

When it is hot out it can be easy to get in a rut and just wear what is coolest. Here is a month of inspiration to help you keep looking cool even in the August temps!

To read more about the Outfit Inspiration Calendar or check out past months - click here.

Monday, 8/2 - White Hot with lots of Bling
Tuesday, 8/3 - Wear a Pretty Dress
Wednesday, 8/4 - Classic Black & White
Thursday, 8/5 - Accordian Skirt
Friday, 8/6 - Earth tones
Saturday, 8/7 - Coral & Khaki

Monday, 8/9 - White Top & Floaty Skirt Combo
Tuesday, 8/10 - Top is off with a boyfriend blazer
Wednesday, 8/11 - Slim Cropped Pants & Cardi
Thursday, 8/12 - Dress w/ a Chunky Belt
Friday, 8/13 - Colorful Skirt/Cardi/Fun Belt Combo
Saturday, 8/14 - Casual in Shorts & a Pop of Color

Monday, 8/16 - Add some unexpected Shimmer
Tuesday, 8/17 - Pencil Skirt
Wednesday, 8/18 - Get Wild with Animal Print
Thursday, 8/19 - Add a flower to your belt/waistband
Friday, 8/20 - Preppy Bohemian
Saturday, 8/21 - Go Girly in Jeans

Monday, 8/23 - Neon Yellow & Tan
Tuesday, 8/24 - Get Striped
Wednesday, 8/25 - Dress & Scarf Combo
Thursday, 8/26 - Pretty Top/Scarf/White Combo
Friday, 8/27 - Maxi Dress
Saturday, 8/28 - Pretty Patterned Top & Denim

Monday, 8/30 - Purple/Navy Combo
Tuesday, 8/31 - Patterned Skirt

Sync up with the Outfit Inspiration Calendar for easy access:

This month's looks are from LOFT, Shop Ruche, Loop 18, Real Simple Magazine, Lane Bryant, Avenue, Coldwater Creek, SWAK, Ashley Stewart, Down East Basics, Lucky Magazine, and some from my inspiration folder (and I've unfortunately forgotten). Contact me for specifics.

Daily Outfit - 07/30/10

I woke up with a headache, didn't have an outfit picked out and wanted to be comfy today. I know some people would toss on slumpy, frumpy clothes like this.

(Google Images)

But honestly, it is just as comfortable to throw something on like this - a comfy outfit made up of cotton with just a bit of spandex to keep things stretchy.

Orange/White Stripe Tee - Orange/White Striped Tee - Avenue, $15 (June 2010)
Jeans - Macys, on sale for $50 (Jan. 2010)
Yellow Necklace - Thrifted, $2 (2007? 2008?)
Wedges - Cynthia Vincent for Target, $30 (Spring 2010)

Have you entered the Hip Klip sponsored by Purse Bling Giveaway yet? Well, what are you waiting for? Click Here!

Daily Outfit - 07/29/10

I decided to try something a little different with a scarf today. I made a shrug out of a large square scarf. Its kind of fun and drapey in person - hard to take a picture of.

White Shirt - Dots, $18 (Summer 2009)
Black Dress - Target, clearance for $15 (2008)
Scarf - H&M, $8 (2009)
Diamond Solitaire Necklace - gift
Flower Bracelet - Kate Spade/gift from Kenz (2010)
Heels - Coach (Spring 2010)

Hip Klip Review & Giveaway

I think I have shared my career with some of you before, but for those of you that don't know I am a property manager for commercial real estate. I have four buildings in my portfolio which means I am on the go a bit and need to always have my cell phone and access cards/keys with me. For a long time I have been using various wristlets which are pretty handy, but not the best option especially when I am writing stuff down or attempting to carry stuff. So when the fabulous president, Jerilyn, of Purse Bling offered a Hip Klip* for me to try out I was thrilled.

Check this thing out - it clips on your belt or waistband to keep your hands free and your "stuff" close! Also, you can clip it inside your purse to keep these little items together and easy to grab.

Just look at everything that fit in it with plenty of room to spare.

So, as you can see I love my new Hip Klip. Now, don't worry I wouldn't just rub it in your face that I have something cool and not give you a chance to win one for yourself! Purse Bling will give one lucky and randomly selected FFUF reader a Hip Klip of their choice.

Simply fill out the form below to be entered in the drawing - one entry per person. Entry deadline is Tuesday, August 3 at 11:59 EST.


Or click here for the entry form.

All of the information entered will be kept in a secure spreadsheet and email addresses will not be used for spam, etc. I will delete once the winner is selected.

And remember, if you can't wait to see if you won or not or want to get some of the many other fabulous Purse Bling items use the code FAB2 to save 10%!

*Hip Klip was provided by Purse Bling for the purpose of this review.

Daily Outfit - 07/28/10

Well, I certainly didn't intend to do that . . . and by that I mean go AWOL (someone just watched this past Sunday's Army Wives!) and not post daily outfit pics. I did something the past two days that I try never to do. I didn't plan my outfit the evening before leaving me running behind in the morning and just grabbing something.

On Monday I wore this "Neon Zebra" wrap dress only I popped a bright pink tank under it this time around. On Tuesday I wore this Maxi Dress with this turquoise & white Polka Dot cardi. So, as you can see, you weren't missing much.

Now on to today's outfit . . . there is a lot going on. Pattern, design, texture and even some embellishment - - is it too much? Not for me! This outfit all started based on the Outfit Inspiration Calendar's call for "Dress up a Graphic Tee" and from there I kept grabbing things.

Green Jacket - Burlington Coat Factory, clearance for $10 (June 2010 - my mom picked it up for me)
Tee - Old Navy, $10 (2010)
Skirt - Gap, $60 (2005)
Belt - NY & Co, sale for $10 (2007)
Embellished Peep Toes - Unisa/TJ Maxx, $35 (2006) with DIY embellishment by me

I explained the Wibiya tool bar on Sunday, but wanted to share that I plan to use the little pop-up message area as a way to share all sorts of stuff (fun facts about me, things that caught my eye, articles that I found interesting, heads up on uncoming giveaways and more). So, if you normally just read FFUF through a reader/feed, you may want to click on over from time to time! :-)

Reader Question - Lace Up Boots

I would love to buy these boots but I have no idea what to wear with them. They are a BIG purchase for me so I am hesitant to commit! What ideas do you have for fall/winter? I'd like to wear them to work where our dress code is business casual.

The sale ends soon so I could use some quick advice if you have time! Thank you!
-Bianca

(Image from Nordstrom, modified by me)

Bianca, those boots are gorgeous!! I know they are pricey (click the pic above to be directed to the website), but I think they would be worth it. You can work them into outfits not only for your business casual wardrobe, but casually on weekends also.

Given the time constraint so you can be sure to make your decision in time to get the sale price I pulled a few looks from catalogs to show the types of outfits that come to mind for these boots.

(image from Down East Basics Catalog, modified by me)

First up, pair them with cute floral or other patterned dresses and skirts. In the early fall you can go without tights and later in the winter months add some nice warm tights to the look.

(left image from Down East Basics Catalog and right image from Fashion Police, modified by me)

Next up, just like with the floaty, patterned dress and skirt above the boots would be great with a denim skirt and sweater/shirt/cardigan on top. You could also try them with tweed or heavy-weight material shorts and tights.

(image from Down East Basics Catalog, modified by me)

Another option would be to pair them with skinny jeans/cords, jeggings or leggings and tuck the pants in, so you can still see the awesome laces. Good toppers for this look would be oversized cardigans, tunic length shirts and more.

(image from The Fashionable Housewife, modified by me)

This image is from Marc Jacobs for Fall 2009. I love the "lumberjack" yet feminine feel these outfits have. Your new boots would definitely work well with similar look also. I could also see them working with maxi shirts like the Charlotte Roson ones in this post.

Bianca, I hope that helps with a few ideas of the types of outfits the boots would work well with. You will have let us know if you decide to buy them.

Lovely ladies, do you have any ideas? Links to inspiration?

Alligator Bracelet Under $25

A couple of weeks ago I wore my newly acquired Alligator Bracelet. I received a few comments inquiring where "Albie" was from. Unfortunately, my answer wasn't very helpful unless you lived in or around Indy as I picked him up at a local jewelry store called Princess at Castleton Mall.

Over the past couple of weeks I have kept my eyes open for an alternative for you lovely ladies though. I haven't come across much, but did see this one at AMI Clubwear. This one is a bit more blinged out and is available in gold or silver tone.

Do you have any animal jewelry (or as Avenue calls it Critter Couture)?

Want: Colorful Sunglasses

At the beginning of June, I fell in ♥ with a pair of colorful Pucci Sunglasses that The Outnet had on sale for the great price of $130 (hey, we're talking Pucci here!). I had a good amount of willpower that day and didn't order them (though I did talk Dave into buying them later that evening as a gift for me, but unfortunately they were sold out by then - boo!).

Ever since I have been craving a pair of bold, colorful sunglasses. I browsed online and drooled on a few more Pucci pairs, but their $300+ price tags have kept my wallet in my purse.


A few days later Hillary of byhillary did a little shopping at TJ Maxx and showed a pair of Fossil Sunglasses she tried on (4th picture down). My heartbeat quickened at the sight. I looked around at a couple of local TJ Maxx Stores, but no luck for me! Again heartbreak!

So, when I spied these lovelies on Sunglass Warehouse for only $13 I knew my quest for colorful, fun sunnies was over, and I was a happy girl!

What have you fallen in love with lately? Scored any great deals?

Keeping it all connected . . .

For those of you that visit the Fab Finds Under $50 page you may have already noticed the Wibiya Toolbar at the bottom of the page. For those of you that read through a feed, come on over and check it out.

The Wibiya Toolbar adds some fun features to FFUF, including:
- a search box (in addition to the one at the top of the page) that can search FFUF or Google
- can translate the text in other languages
- provides a pop up menu of recent posts for easy browsing
- an easy way to like FFUF content on Facebook
- a pop up window that shows what pages people are liking and sharing on Facebook
- a "random" button that will pull up a random post. This is a great way to familiarize yourself with FFUF posts especially if you are new to FFUF.
- a pop up window that shows what I have been Tweeting lately which is a good way to keep up on my randomness even if you don't do the Twitter thing yourself.

If you have a blog or website of your own the Wibiya toolbar is super easy to add if you want. Click the pic above for more info.

Shop eShakti!

I have written lots about my love for eShakti in past posts. The fact that they make cute clothes in sizes 0 - 26, plus you can customize the clothes makes them top notch in my book.

If you are looking to buy anything from eShakti now is the time to do it. Enter promo code FABFINDSUNDER50123 now through July 31, 2010 to save 10% off your order.

Also, they have recently lowered their customization fee in half - now it is only $7.50 per item!

Check out just a few of the many cute items they currently have available:

Have you shopped eShakti before? What are you loving from them right now?

Do you shoeWoo?

One thing I repeatedly receive compliments on are my shoes. I have always drifted toward shoes that add a pop of color and fun to my outfits. Personally, I find them easy to shop for, there are lots of great deals to be had and the storage space they require is fairly minimal making them a great collectible!

Recently while reading the blog Taylor Wears Everything she mentioned the website shoeWoo. I filed it away in the memory banks thinking "I need to check that out". Then in the August issue of People Style Watch I saw a whole page devoted to the site along with a 20% off Promo Code (enter SWPSW20 now through 8/16/10 to receive the 20% off discount on full-price merchandise).

Well, hello - - I had to check it out now. They offer shoes and accessories by lots of good brands like Nine West, Bandolino, Anne Klein and more. Here are just a few of the many great things I spied:

shoeWoo by dddgirl79 featuring Nine West

Have you ordered from shoeWoo before? Are you going to put that Promo Code to use?

simply - bags - Cute Bags & Great Deals!

Recently Simply Bags contacted me to check out one of their great bags. After a quick look around their site I said "woo-hoo, yes, please!".

Their online store is full of super cute beach bags, laptop bags, diaper bags, lunch bags, travel totes, wine bags, and more!! Not only are their bags cute, but they are Fab Finds Under $50 and personalization is available at no extra charge (wha-wha-what - that is always extra with other retailers)!

Look how cute I am with my monogrammed tote*!

I received the Stylish Beach Tote which retails for $28. It is a great, extra large tote made of jute and lined with cotton fabric on the inside making the bag nice, lightweight and just asking to be loaded up with goodies. Even though the bag was personalized just for me the shopping was super fast and the customer service rocked.

I love giving personalized items as gifts so I know I will be shopping with Simply Bags a lot. Just check out some of these great bags - they have something for everyone including the kiddos, sorority sisters, moms on the go, bridal parties and more.

Simply Bags by dddgirl79 on Polyvore.com

What caught your eye while browsing Simply Bags?

*Tote Bag compliments of Simpy Bags

Daily Outfit - 07/23/10

I've mentioned before when wearing this jacket that I feel a bit like Dorothy Zbornak in it (from the Golden Girls and don't get me wrong I love Dorothy, but never as a fashion icon). However, after crushing on all of the awesome kimonos going on over at God's Favorite Shoes and having no kimonos of my own I grabbed this jacket as a substitution. I have to say this is my favorite combination yet for it!

Purple/Navy Striped Tank - Old Navy, on sale for $2 (May 2010)
Floral Swingy Jacket – Patricia Field Destination Style for HSN, on sale for $50 (March 2009)
White Jeans - Thrifted, $4 (Summer 2009)
Flower Necklace -H&M/Gifted (Feb. 2010)
Long Bead/Chain Necklace - Forever 21 (Feb. 2010)
Taupe Wedges - Target, $25 (April 2010)
Sunglasses (had to show them since they match so well!) - Sunglass Warehouse, $12 (July 2010)