Budget Friendly Wedding

My sister has a wedding to attend in September and asked for some tips on putting together a classy, yet budget-friendly look.  She already has a black dress almost exactly like the one below, but needed some ideas for accessorizing.

My sister has a great blog centered around sharing money-saving tips and ideas.  One of her recent posts was for stackable coupon codes at Kohl's.  Kohl's (surprisingly, at least to me) carries some really pretty jewelry, specifically, the Vera Wang collection.  The VW collection is made up of beautiful necklaces and classic earrings, amongst other things.  I found every piece for Alison's outfit (except for the hair pins) on the Kohl's site!  Yes, that's right - the necklace, the earrings, the clutch, and the shoes are available at Kohl's website, and with the help from her blog, my sister could apply both a 20% and 15% coupon code to the total cost and buy all of the accessories for under $60 total!  This is a fantastic deal when you consider that originally, the shoes were $50 and the necklace was $36.  With the addition of a few delicate foral bobby pins from Forever 21 - for a steal at $1.50 - to give her hair a romantic feel, she's got a sophisticated evening wedding look for just about $60 .....but she'll look like a million bucks!

If you'd like to visit Alison's blog, you can click here to visit it!

Apt. 9® Tailee Peep-Toe Dress Heels
$28.99 - kohls.com

Simply Vera Vera Wang Silver-Tone Multistrand Necklace
$21.60 - kohls.com

Mundi Marble Clutch Wallet
$19.25 - kohls.com

Chaps Silver-Tone Simulated Pearl Drop Earrings
$7.20 - kohls.com

Fab Dainty Satin Bobby Pins

$1.50 - forever21.com

Personal Style

On our weekend getaway to Boston a few weeks ago, the hostess in the restaurant near Fenway caught my eye because she had a very unique sense of style ...she put her outfit together seamlessly. Every piece contributed to making the outfit complete, with an exquisite attention to detail. For me, it all started with her shoes.  The cream and black snakeskin Tory Burch flat was a fierce jumping off point for the outfit - might sound like a bit much but they added just enough drama to the look. She added another interesting touch with a cream blazer that would have otherwise been a basic piece.....except for the fact that there were silver sequins around the cuffs of the short sleeves. I used to follow the rule of thumb that sequins should be saved for New Years Eve or some equally ridiculous occasion, but J. Crew and this stylish girl have started to change my mind.   

The other well put together portion of her look was the collection of jewelry on her wrist.  She mixed metal (a watch and a few thin bracelets) with different color studded leather straps for an interesting look that complemented the rest of her outfit without being overwhelming at all. 

She kept the rest of the look pretty minimalist with black skinny jeans and a grey top underneath the blazer (with a tiny bit of black embellishment sneaking out from the top).  She had post earrings on and a David Yurman carved cable disc necklace. She kept her makeup and hair natural, with just a bit of eyeliner and a relaxed chignon bun. All in all, this girl did a fantastic job putting together an outfit that looks effortless but screams that she pays attention to detail - let this be your inspiration next time you're in a style slump - I know I will.

Stella & Dot Winner - Amber

Amber was the winner of the Stella & Dot giveaway with the 7th comment.  Congratulations, Amber!

Amber, please send me an email to laurenstyleex@gmail.com with your address and phone number so we can get your La Coco Gold Pearl Strand to you.


Thank you all for playing!

Giveaway: Stella & Dot

Hello my lovely readers - I appreciate your patience with me over the last two weeks as I transitioned into life back on American soil.  The past week has been a whirlwind, but I am so excited to be back home!  Speaking of excitement, I am thrilled to share with you that the lovely Tara Lawrence, a stylist for Stella & Dot, has graciously offered up a beautiful piece of jewelry for one of my lucky readers.  In case you haven't heard about Stella & Dot, the company offers boutique-style jewelry worn by many celebrities and stylish women everywhere ....only sold at in-home trunk shows and online at Tara's website.  Make sure you take a look at Tara's contact information at the bottom of this post and get in touch with her to set up your Stella & Dot party!  She would love to do a trunk show for you and your girlfriends - on average her hostesses earn  $300 in free jewelry and shop at 50% discount.  This would be a great way to introduce yourself and your friends to the beautiful pieces that Stella & Dot offers. 


For Stylized Existence readers, I have the privilege of giving away one of two necklaces (winner's choice!) that Tara is offering  - the Claire Necklace would add the perfect touch of shimmer and edginess to a sophisticated and pared down office look, while the La Coco Gold Pearl Strand could add class to almost any look, especially a dress with a little bit of a 40's vibe like this beautiful purple floral featured in Boden's new Fall collection.  A pearl strand is a must-have in any woman's wardrobe, and the La Coco version is good mix between classic and modern (these aren't your grandmother's pearls!)  This is part of Stella & Dot's "La Coco Collection and Concept", which is a set of necklaces that can be mixed and matched to create many different looks (and here is a link to show you all of the ways to style the necklaces).

Tara Lawrence's contact information:

Mobile: 814.795.9425
Email: tara.lawrence@hotmail.com
www.stelladot.com/taralawrence

Giveaway details:
Please visit the Stella & Dot website and check out all of the beautiful pieces, especially the Claire necklace and La Coco Gold Pearl Strand.

1. Leave a comment on my blog telling me which necklace you'd prefer (choose either the Claire necklace or the La Coco). 

2. To receive an extra entry: Link to this post on your own blog (include the url to your blog in your comment)

The contest ends Wednesday evening (August 11) at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.  Please remember to leave your email address with your comment so that I can contact you if you happen to be the lucky winner!  Anonymous comments will be ignored!