See Ya Soon

This is my last post at Better With Tights. I have enjoyed writing on this blog since fall of last year. I never have been the most religious blogger. I definitely posted more on this blog last year and at the beginning of this year. I like to blog but I feel that with a blog name like "Better With Tights" I am pigeon-holed into blogging mainly about fashion. While I love fashion, I also love books, movies, music, and food. I would love to blog about those things on a regular basis which is why I decided to start a new blog.

You can now find me at my new blog Heart In The Middle. I got the idea for the name after re-watching the movie Waitress one night. Have you seen it? If you haven't, you definitely should.

Thanks to all you ladies that have visited my blog over the last year. I hope you will check me out at my new home!

Crushed

While in Charlotte this past weekend I ventured into Madewell. I always go in there to browse the sale section. Sometimes I can find awesome deals. This time I didn't find anything amazing on sale but they sale Hunter rain boots. I have wanted a pair of Hunter boots all year and my parents were going to get me a pair for Christmas. I thought I should try them on to make sure of the size I needed. Well....I tried on a size 9 and while the foot was plenty roomy, the boots were extremely snug around my calf. I was wearing a pair of jeggings and if I had need to tuck in a thicker pair of pants or corduroys there is no way they would fit. I was really devastated. My friend, Maggie thought I was being a bit dramatic. Maybe I was. Hunter boots were my dream rain boots. Anybody have any suggestions for another style of fabulous rain boots? I would love suggestions.
Maybe my devastation would have lasted longer but I was still really excited over the new coat I had just purchased in Anthropologie. As soon as I saw it on the hanger I was in love. I put it on and felt like Mary Tyler Moore. The coat has a detachable hood. I love it. It was well worth the splurge. Although had I been shopping alone I never would have splurged on it. My shopping pal convinced me that I could afford to splurge on the coat. Here is the beauty.

I hope to start posting outfit photos again by the end of the week. I am having lots of sinus issues so my nose reminds me of Rudolph's. As soon as that subsides I want to post again. I miss blogging.

Threadless Winner

I am so awful with html. I could not figure out for the life of me how to get the html code to insert the Random Number generator in this blog. So I took a picture of the screen with my phone and inserted the photo into the post. Lame, I know. Don't judge me.

Anyway, I have a winner for the $30 credit to Threadless.com!!

Congrats Bekah!!! I will send an email with all the details!!

Do You Bleed Orange?

Neyland Stadium home of The University of Tennessee Volunteers

I have never been a big sports gal. I am definitely not athletically inclined. In high school I went to football games and learned enough about football to follow along with the game. Watching sports of TV is boring. There are too many other distractions. I was only interested because that was my school, my team. It was fun to go to football games and not only watch the game but socialize. When I went to college, I stopped attending sports events. First of all, the college I attended no longer had a football team and for some reason I never got into any other sport. I didn't have a lot of school pride. Not that I disliked my college, I lived off campus and was only there for the education. I most definitely didn't have the "typical" college experience.

UT vs University of Buffalo

Yesterday, the marching band from the high school I graduated from had the privilege of performing with the marching band of the University of Tennessee. I was not in the band but most of the people I hang out with now were. The brother of one of my oldest friends is currently in the marching band at the high school. I have him since he was born and I wanted to go and show him and the high school my support. So for the first time ever I attended a football game for the University of Tennessee. UT football is huge here in Northeast Tennessee. The color orange is everywhere especially during football season. Surprisingly, I actually had a lot of fun! I had to have my friend give some refresher notes on the rules of football so that I could follow along but I enjoyed it. I can't say that I will be watching the games every Saturday on TV but maybe on occasion I will and I would definitely be open to attending another game.

Dobyns-Bennett High School Marching Band

UT band on the left; Dobyns-Bennett band on the right

No Shopping October & A Giveaway!!

Guess what I am going to do in October? Abstain from shopping! I got the idea from Bekah at Matters of Merrymaking. It will be hard but I think it is necessary. I have plenty of clothes and shoes and jewelry and I have been buying too much. I've been buying individual items I like without any regard to how well it fits into my wardrobe. Plus, I need to be a better saver and I'd like to start paying toward school loans while I am still in school. So these are my rules:

No clothes, shoes, or accessories (except I will be buying a Mates of State shirt at their show)
No groupons or living social deals
No purchases from fab.com even on non-clothing items


I can however use gift cards or credits I already have outstanding.

dress: Loft; cardigan: Gap; shoes: Bandolino; necklace: New York & Co; earrings: Silver Mine Jewelry; bracelet: gift


Speaking of Groupon, I accidentally purchased two for Threadless during the month of August. I've already used one and have decided I'm going to give the other one away to one of you!

Threadless offers cute graphic tees for men, women, and kids. I purchased this Abe tee for myself. The Groupon is for $30 to use at threadless.com The Groupon expires in the middle of November so please be sure that if you enter the giveaway you will actually use it.

To enter all you need to do is leave a comment below telling me if you have ever placed a self-imposed shopping ban on yourself. For a bonus entry follow me on twitter.
Be sure to leave separate comments for both and make sure I have a way to contact you if you win.
I will accept entries until next Saturday October 8th Noon EST
Good Luck!!

Fab.com

I am signed up for numerous savings sites such as HauteLook, Swirl, and Rue La La. I love a discount. A few months ago I saw on twitter that a site had Out of Print Tees on sale. The site offering the sale was Fab.com. I was very excited because I had looked at their tees several times and this was the incentive I needed to purchase one. The tee I picked up was The Outsiders tee. I love it. The Outsiders has been one of my favorite books since I first read it in middle school. The movie is sort of cool too because it was filmed in the 80s and it features so many up and coming stars.

I like Fab.com because they offer an unique and eclectic variety of sales on their website. They have new featured sales each day and each sale lasts for 2-3 days. Since I placed my first order back in July I have made several other purchases from the website including cool Willie Nelson show art, a coin purse, and a dish towel. If you like unique, fun items then I strongly suggest you sign-up to receive daily sale emails from Fab.com so you don't miss out on awesome sales.

Fashion Rescue

tank: Aerie; shirt: TJ Maxx; jeans: Delia's (borrowed from a friend); shoes: Nine West; necklace: New York & Co; bracelet: Delia's; earrings: Etsy

I am really glad I was able/remembered to participate in this round of EBEW! For a moment I thought I wouldn't be able to participate. I ordered a pair of red jeggings from American Eagle last Sunday when they had 40% off all merchandise. I was very excited because I have been dying for a pair of red pants. Well, I was really annoyed when I hadn't received them as of Saturday. It had never taken this long to receive my American Eagle order before. I receive an email yesterday notifying me that my pants had just shipped! A week later! Perhaps my other orders arrived faster because I placed them in a store instead of online? Not sure but I am very disappointed with American Eagle.



Anyway, a friend of mine with an awesome wardrobe was nice enough to let me borrow a pair of her colored jeans. Yay for stylish friends that wear the same size I do!

Mission: Music

Typically, Monday's are for music or so I see around the inter-webs. Well, I came across this fabulous gal that posts song covers on youtube. Jayme Dee, maybe you have already heard her stuff or maybe not. You should definitely listen to one of these songs if you haven't heard her sing before. Here are a couple of my favorites she has posted.

Four Days Later

I wore this outfit on Saturday. I haven't really been in the mood to post since then. I really would like to post more but most of the time I don't give myself enough time to take pictures in the morning and by the evening my outfit is all wrinkled. Maybe I should stop being so lazy and wake up ten minutes earlier.

I buttoned this cardigan uneven intentionally. Let me tell you, I got several looks as I ran around town Saturday. Probably people wondering if I was aware my cardigan was buttoned wrong. I felt it looked too boxy when it was buttoned up "normally". The cardigan is from ASOS and I really like it. I got it on super sale a month or so ago. I had never purchased anything from ASOS and probably couldn't have ordered everything a size smaller but I don't that the items I purchased are a little slouchy. That look is in, right?

This was my second attempt at curling my hair and it didn't turn out so well. Not really sure why, I did everything the same. Oh, well.

tank: Kohl's; cardigan: ASOS; skirt: Urban Outfitters; shoes: Target; necklace & white bracelet: New York & Company; silver bangles: gift

My 100th Post

This is my 100th blog post! Yay! I wish I had something more awesome to blog about for this post but it is just a typical post.


Last night I went out with two friends to see Jesco White at a local bar. He was going to dance. Unfortunately he was dancing a little too hard the night before and he hurt his ankle. So no dancing for us. The bands still played and they were very good. I'm quite disappointed I didn't get to see Jesco dance. Hopefully I will get another chance.

If you don't know who Jesco White is watch this video. It is the video trailer of the documentary The Dancing Outlaw. The White Family is also featured in the more recent documentary The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia (click on the link to see the trailer). If you have Netflix Instant this is available for instant streaming. It is a very interesting portrayal of the White family. I found is fascinating because it is a way of life of which I am not accustomed. In no way am I promoting the White's lifestyle. The White family is just an interesting case study.



dress: Ross; shoes: Dolce Vita via Hautelook; necklace: Forever21; bracelets: Charming Charlie; earrings (that you can't really see but are totally awesome): Target

I curled my hair using a tutorial posted by A Pretty Penny. It was my first try and I thought it turned out fairly nice. Thanks Keira for the awesome tutorial!

Fall Wish List & a Review

I have been shopping a bit recklessly lately. Buying clothing items that I don't really need just because I don't feel like my wardrobe is complete. Really every piece in my wardrobe doesn't feel like me and blend together very well. I need to do a major purge but I have trouble parting with items. Items that I really still like but never wear and never make the effort to wear.

Speaking of feeling like my wardrobe is incomplete, it is time to get my closet ready for fall. Since I am been shopping without reason, I want to limit my fall clothing purchases. How many items do you buy to update your closet each season? I am not sure what I want my fall items to be yet so it is hard to limit myself to a number. Guess I need to pull out my September issue of Lucky and scour my favorite blogs to get some ideas and inspiration.

One item I knew I wanted to add to my fall wardrobe was a pair of Minnetonka Moccasins. I bought mine this evening at a local shoe store because I got them for $36.97 plus 20% off which made them around $32. Awesome! I can't wait to wear them!! I purchased the Kilty style in the medium grey suede.


I told Dani that I would review my first JewelMint purchase on my blog over two months ago. Now I have made three jewelry purchases from the website so I figured it was about time to follow through.

My first purchase was the Gold Luxe Duo. I chose this as my first purchase because I loved the necklace and because I was getting two pieces for the price of one. All items are $29.99 which honestly is a lot for me to spend on a piece of jewelry. I have had this duo since the end of June and I still haven't worn the necklace. The jewel is a lot bigger than I expected and haven't worked it into any of my outfits yet. I'm not sure that I am a fan of the quality of the look of the necklace in person either. Fortunately, I am absolutely in love with the bracelet included in the duo. I have gotten lots of wear out of it. It is simple but stylish and I can wear it with so much. So the duo was definitely worth the money due to how often I wear the bracelet.

My next purchase was the Rio Bravo Earrings. As soon as I received the email that these were back in stock, I snatched these up. I think these are the perfect addition to my fall wardrobe. JewelMint still has these in stock so if you like them hurry over and order a pair! Another purchase worth the $29.99.
My most recent purchase was the Piet Necklace. I just received it this week and I am still up in the air about this one. As soon as I saw this was back in stock I jumped at my chance to order it. I loved it, online. Now I am not so sure. I'm not crazy at the quality of the construction of the necklace. I can sort of see the glue on the sides where the fabric pieces were glued in. I am going to examine this necklace a little more closely over the weekend to decide if I should return it.


I definitely encourage anyone who has been on the fence about JewelMint to give it a try especially if you find an item you really like. I will continue to purchase items I am drawn to from JewelMint. My experience has been 50/50 with the items I have chosen but my love of the bracelet and the earrings is definitely greater than any disappointment I have felt towards the necklaces.

Have you ordered anything from JewelMint? What has your experience been?

Print Mixer

Yay! I remembered to participate in another EBEW! This month it is pattern mixing which is not something I am extremely skilled at so I kept it simple by mixing a floral print with stripes. I don't have tons of time to blog because I am finishing up a couple papers for my two summer semester classes. I will be so glad when these papers are complete and this week is over!

tank: Aerie; cardigan: Loft; jeans: Banana Republic; shoes: Target

Twitter

I found this cute Twitter analyzer.



Hmmm.....not sure that I agree that I am not very enthusiastic or interesting. I like that it says I have a geeky grin and I do tweet a lot about fashion and am interested in shopping. My most favorite topics seem to include my favorite blog buddies. I thought this was really cute and that I should share. Let me know if you post your Twitter demographic stats so I can take a look!

Yes, I Am A Smoothie Addict.

For the past few months I have been addicted to smoothies. Unfortunately, there aren't very many places in my area where I can purchase a smoothie made with fresh fruits. McDonald's Strawberry Banana smoothie is delicious and 210 calories for a small isn't bad unfortunately smoothies without some protein won't fill me up so I end up eating more calories than I'd like.

Due to the lack of variety, I decided to buy a blender and blend my own smoothies. I have really wanted the Ninja Master Prep for a while now because it doubles as a food processor so I purchased one for myself a couple of weeks ago on sale at Target. So far I really like this product. I have only made smoothies with it so far but I can't wait to make my own hummus or salsa. Ultimately, I would love to own a Vitamix blender but it is out of my price range for now. That will need to be an investment in the future. Right now I am paying for things like graduate school and the CPA exam.

I have been pursing blogs and websites for different smoothie recipes and have found quite a selection. My favorite blog for smoothie recipes is Peanut Butter Fingers. Julie has an awesome list of smoothies listed on her blog and I have tried a few of them so far and haven't been disappointed. This morning the "Ice Cream" Smoothie caught my eye so I headed to the kitchen.
Surprisingly, I didn't have any honey (I always have honey) so I added some vanilla extract instead. The results was quite yummy. Check out the ingredients I used below.

My Vanilla Goodness Smoothie (adapted from Peanut Butter Fingers)

1 scoop Jay Robb Whey Protein Vanilla
2 bananas
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp fat free whipped topping

A Day Late and A Dollar Short

I know, I know, a day late and a dollar short. I hope everyone will forgive me for posting my first ever Paper Doll Project outfit a day late. I cross my heart that I wore this outfit yesterday. I was paired up with Kimberlee of I Have A Degree In This! I asked her to style this vintage midi skirt I thrifted from the Goodwill. I have only worn it once and haven't worn it again because I wasn't really sure what to pair with it. Kimberlee gave me two great, different ways to wear this skirt and this is the look I chose. I really like the way the white tee looks with this skirt. It really lets you focus on the beauty of the skirt. I wore some bracelets and a necklace with this outfit as well but took it off to bake some cupcakes and forgot to put it back on.

Today is also Everybody, Everywear: Thrift. I have become much more interested in thrifting since I started reading fashion blogs especially since I started reading Jentine's blog. She finds amazing stuff and it really inspired me to get out there and start digging to find my own treasures!

top: Madewell; skirt: thrifted; shoes: Payless; belt: Forever21

Please take some time to visit the other pairings to see how they styled each other, and maybe take a trip over to EBEW to see all the thrifted items we’re wearing today.

Divergent Musings and Maybe Someday We’ll Be Smarter
Unusual Form and Miss Vinyl Ahoy
In doctorly fashion and The Daily Dani
Matters of Merrymaking and Be Your Own Adventure
Better With Tights and I Have A Degree In This!
The Cardigan Queen and Acute Designs
Ruby Bastille and A Heart and Soul Story
From the Mixed-up Files and Stylish Year
Animated Cardigan and Snappy Casual
Miss Lulu Blogs and Elle Enchanted
The Socialite’s Closet and Shades of Sarah
My Orange Stilettos and Pull Your Socks Up!
Oranges and Apples and Not Just Mom
Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication and Pieces of {My} Earth
Toujours C’est La Vie and Never Dreamed about This

Thriftin' Fool

I wore this outfit Friday. I have had a very busy weekend but I can't complain! Hopefully new, fun things are coming my way. I am doing my best to branch out and be as social as possible. Putting myself out there is always something I have had trouble with. But with a little courage I am getting much better!



This dress is from The Kissing Tree Vintage's eBay store. I love that store! It is the most adorable button-up dress ever. Currently they have one in blue for auction on eBay. I love this dress so much I was thinking about bidding on it as well! I think I have an addiction!


dress: The Kissing Tree Vintage via eBay; shoes: Forever 21; belt: Steve Madden via TJ Maxx; necklace: New York & Company; bracelets: thrifted

In The Style Of

Wearing this outfit, I really liked it. I got the tee on sale over the weekend at Madewell for $5 and it really is the most comfy tee. I bought my first pair of white jeans in years. I have seen a lot of bloggers wear white jeans and really liked the look, especially on Betsy. Betsy has wrote on her blog, Miss B Gets Dressed how it is better to dress simple when going out. Now I didn't have a date but I was channeling her date look.

tee: Hi-Line @ Madewell; jeans: New York & Co; shoes: Toms; Necklace: New York & Co

Once I saw the pics of me in this outfit I sort of started to love it a little less. I think I need a higher quality white jean. I got this pair at New York & Company on sale for $15. I didn't want to splurge on white jeans when I wasn't sure if I would love them. I think this pair will do for now but once fall rolls around I'll probably invest in a quality pair.

Remember Me?

Well hello there! Just in case any of you have forgotten what I look like here is a reminder below:

Sorry I have been missing from the blog world. I have been busy with two internet classes. I went to Bonnaroo. I know I still owe everyone a Bonnaroo post. I didn't take my camera because it uses a rechargeable battery and I didn't realize there would be a place in Bonnaroo where you could charge electronics. I have an iPhone 3GS and the camera on that stinks. My friend took quite a few pictures on his Android, so I as soon as I get those pics I will post on my first Bonnaroo experience.
This past weekend I ventured to Charlotte. I visited with a bunch of friends, did a little shopping at a couple malls and went to Ikea, plus did a little thrifting. I found some really good deals at the mall. Every store seemed to have an awesome sale. It was nice to get away for the weekend. Especially considering I have a third class that starts in a couple weeks that meets for two nights a week (in addition to 2 internet classes). I will be a busy bee for a month and won't have much free time.

I love this dress! I bought it recently at Forever 21 for $15! Maxi dresses are so comfy. It is almost ridiculous.


dress: Forever 21; cardigan: Aerie; shoes: Forever 21; necklace: boutique in Charlotte antique mall

Like Strawberry Wine

I love this dress. It is covered in strawberries! Love it! The fuller skirt is light and airy on a hot, humid day. I bought it from Twitch Vintage via eBay. The lady behind this store is Robyn. You can find out more about her on her blog, Twitch Vintage. On her blog info she lists that she is from Fancy Pants, FL. Love it. I think I should say I am from Fancy Pants, TN. Sounds about right to me. I hope Robyn doesn't mind. :-)


I am super frustrated because I didn't realize you couldn't see my shoes!

My earrings are strawberries.

dress: Twitch Vintage via eBay; earrings: Urban Outfitters; shoes: Target; belt: thrifted


I am going to Bonnaroo later this week. I am super nervous. I have never been to an event this large. I HOPE I have everything I need. If you have any tips for a long music fest please feel free to share.

Shop With Me: Forever 21

Kendi is about to start a new 30 for 30 challenge. I am not going to join in this time. I want to dress for myself and choose from any item in my closet. Often during past challenges I felt that I needed to keep getting more and more creative with my outfits. It is too stressful for me. I want to wish all that ladies that do participate good luck! I'll be reading about your 30 for 30 journeys soon!

One thing I have learned from past challenges is that I should spend more money on classic items of clothing. Definitely go for quantity of quality. With that being said, I still love stores like Forever 21, especially for trendier items. Here are some items from Forever 21 that I want at the moment.



Satin & Lace Top (perfect for the upcoming EBEW) $15.80

The Mighty Thor Tank (I heart Thor) $13.80

Embroidered Lattice Maxi Dress $22.80

Floral Cone Heels $22.80 Real Charm Scarf

Jessica Gets Dressed

Look!! I do get dressed. I know all of you are in disbelief right now but I assure you, I get dressed everyday. Hopefully, outfit photos will become a regular occurance again.

I'm trying a new look called playground chic. Can't you tell? Notice the bandaid on my leg? Very classy. It goes well with my dress and heels, don't you think? The Dr. Pepper can in the second picture adds to the sophistication of the photos.



cardigan: Charlotte Russe; dress: Kohls; shoes: Nine West; bracelet: thrifted