The Cheap Diva

At Crate and Barrel the Accent is On Style

If you love style but you are on a budget chances are you will get bored with your decor long before you have the cash to completely redecorate.  Home accents, like rugs and pillow, offer an affordable way to update a space that could use a little freshening up.  Crate and Barrel offers the kind of home accents that add some real personality to a space. 

The exotic pattern of this Yasmine Rug $79.95-$699.00 offer a bountiful bouquet of beautiful colors to brighten your home.  On a more practical note, the dark brown background is great for hiding stains!

Yes it is possible to capture the nautical spirit without going overboard with seashells and boat motifs.  The crisp stripes in sand and vivid blues of the Zachary Pillow for $24.95 evokes the look you would expect to find on a luxury yacht.  Cruise into summer with style by pairing the pillow with white or sand colored stain resistant cushions on a couch or chair.   

When I think of pattern I often think of striped or floral patterns like the ones pictured here.  It's easy to forget that patterns comes in many forms, like the herringbone weave pattern of this Seluma Magazine Basket for $29.95.  The advantage of creating visual interest with a neutral colored accent that with an interesting texture is that it's easier to coordinate with other pieces in the room since clashing colors and patterns is less of an issue.  On other words, if covering your floor in an exotic floral design is a bit bolder than you're comfortable with, texture is a virtually foolproof way to introduce pattern into a room. 

Looklet.com is Worth a Closer Look

Looklet.comis a fashion web site that allows you to dress different runway type models virtually from over a thousand pieces of clothing.  With the added feature of being able to chose from different backgrounds, it's almost like styling your own fashion shoot.  This is a terrific web site for entertainment, but I wouldn't recommend it for shopping.  Some of the links for the clothes direct you to web sites in foreign countries and are not in english, while other pieces of clothing are available only at certain stores, not online.  Even if I could get my hands on the clothes, I doubt I would want to pay the prices they are selling for.

The real fun of looklet.com comes when you start combining designer pieces on the models in ways that are just too outrageous for words.  The program layers new pieces of clothing over what you already have on the model, so if layering a swimsuit over a tailored blouse accompanied by a sequined skirt topped off with a cowboy hat is the virtual style statement you want to make, go for it.  High end fashion designers have been making ridiculous looking outfits for years, now it's your turn! 

The Green Year Book Review

 A lot of advice regarding eco friendly behavior involves reducing waste, which is terrific for anyone on a budget since reducing waste often results in saving money.  The Green Year: 365 small things you can do to make a big difference by Jodi Helmer is packed with the kind of eco friendly tips that will leave you with more green in your wallet. 

The book is organized in a way the offers one eco friendly tip for every day of the year.  Everything from improving your gas mileage through proper car car to reducing energy costs in your home to cheap natural substitutes for chemical laden cleaning products is included in the book.  In terms of being cheap and easy, the advice in the book is extremely doable.  Read this book for yourself and you will discover that it really is easy being green.

Buy One Get One Free Deal on L'Oreal Cosmetics at Ulta

Every week ULTA has some sort of sale on cosmetics and beauty products.  And every week I keep my eyes open for the kind of deals worth bragging about on this blog.  As usual they have plenty of stuff on sale, but the Buy 1 get 1 free deal for select L'Oreal cosmetics and their sale on ULTA eye pencils were the stand out deals for me.  I bought two different shades of L'Oreal Infallible Plumping lip gloss (regularly $9.99 a piece) and an ULTA Automatic Eye Liner (regularly $7.00 but on sale for $1.00) and applied the $3.50 coupon that come with their advertising flier towards my purchase.  After the sales and coupon I ended up spending less than $9.00 for about $27.00 worth of merchandise. 

I don't really notice any difference between the lip plumping version of the L'Oreal Infallible gloss and the regular version, but it lasts longer than a typical lip gloss and the color looks natural, so I can overlook the lack of a plumper pout.  Some of the products I mentioned here are not available from ULTA online so if you have an ULTA store in your state I suggest visiting the physical bricks and mortar store instead of shopping online.  Shopping online may offer convenience, but it will never offer the sense of instant gratification that comes from finding the perfect cosmetic item and taking it home with you immediately after paying for it.

Putting the Home in Home Office

The wonderful thing about a home office is that you can literally make yourself at home and create a working environment that is tailored to your personal needs. Sometimes space limitations may require you to combine your working space with some other type of living space. When a home office is part of a bedroom or living room, it’s essential to integrate the home office trappings into the décor in a way that doesn’t look like you have an office cubicle parked in your living room.

Spotlight Credenza $549.oo

A stylish home office typically revolves around a stylish desk. The bigger and bulkier the desk the harder it is to integrate into the home décor. For my current home office I accidentally bought a console with two drawers instead of a traditional desk. A console is narrower than a desk and often used in areas like hallways. This mistake turned out to be a happy accident because my home office is located in a bedroom and the narrow console blends in with the furnishings much better than a wider desk would have.

It’s not necessary to buy a desk with huge drawers large enough to fit piles of business related files. Buying cabinets and other containers to hold files allows for more flexibility in how you arrange your furniture in a room. Some file cabinets are designed to look like dressers to blend into the home environment more easily. To keep smaller sets of files close at hand without a filing cabinet, you can buy a stylish tote bag specifically designed to hold files. Or you can simply run out and buy a roomy tote bag and insert a file holder inside the bag.

No matter how stylish the furnishings, between printers, computers and office supplies, it’s difficult to disguise the home office aspect of a room completely. What you can is downplay the office vibe by coordinating pieces in a way that reads harmonious home décor not hard working home office.

In my home office/bedroom the black console that I use for a desk sits in between a black cabinet with mirrors on the front doors, and another cabinet that is completely covered with mirrors. The silver pulls on the drawer of the console subtly tie in the mirrors while the black framed memo board hanging above the console, the wall clock with the black and silver frame and the black paper tray sitting on the console create a coordinated harmonious look. In the corner of the room I have a rocking chair with a silver chrome frame and black vinyl cushions. The end table next to the bed and the cabinet at the end are also all black. The black furnishings work because the walls, carpeting and other furnishings in the room are lighter in color which prevents it from feeling like a cave.

One of the cheapest ways to make your home office feel more homey is to reduce the amount of paperwork sitting around. There have been moments where it looked like I collected papers as a hobby because I had so many piles of them sitting around. Once I started going through papers and organizing them into files or throwing them out I found it not only improved the look of the room it improved my productivity as well. It’s easier to find what I need when I don‘t have to move mountains of papers to find it.

Add Shopping Malls to the Endangered Species List

With so many retail stores closing it was only a matter of time before shopping malls followed suit.  Shopping malls have always had their own life cycle that eventually makes some of them close do to changes in local population and shopping habits, but the current trend towards people spending less is causing a rise in the number of shopping mall closings.  The Yahoo Finance article entitled America's Most Endangered Malls talks about the mall closings, providing a lengthy list of malls in danger of becoming extinct.  When I found out one of the malls in danger of being extinct was a mall I used to work at I wanted to celebrate and do a happy dance (I hated working in retail).  Before I had a chance to bust a move I thought of all the people losing their jobs which made me feel a lot less celebratory and a bit sad for those people relying on retail jobs to pay the bills.  Retail has always been a tough business and the bottom line is that when so many different retailers offer such similar uninspired merchandise there isn't much motivation for shoppers to spend. 

Don't Get Scammed by "Job" Opportunities

Like many people concerned about their finances, I have looked into supplementing my income with a part time job.  So far my efforts to land a part time job has exposed me to various scams and zero legitimate job offers.  What pisses me off the most is that the jobs that I thought I was applying for never really existed. 

For example, an advertisement on craigslist for a "job" opportunity was worded in a way that made it sound like they were hiring freelance writers to write about architecture and design.  I emailed my resume to the business thinking it was a writing position.  When the business that ran the ad emailed me about the job they talked about how their clients pay them to hire people to act as customers and rate the level of service they receive at their businesses.  If you read between the lines you realize what they are really saying is that the position is for mystery shoppers, which by the way is not a very well paying job.  I didn't email the company back because I don't want to work for a company that deceives job applicants.

Distinguishing a real job from a bait and switch situation is hard when you look at the classified ads because they are flat out misleading.  It's when you get an email from the business behind the classified that it becomes obvious it's a scam.  I mean if it was legitimate, why wouldn't they tell you up front what the job was?  Here are some warning signs of a scam.

There is no mention of a job interview or any kind of contact with an actual human being.  Instead a link is included in the email that sends you to a web site to sign up for some sort of money making opportunity like sending out promotional emails.

The money making opportunity does not resemble the job you thought you were applying for.

You only applied for one job but your email inbox is flooded with all kinds of so called money making opportunities.  A legitimate company who wants you as an employee doesn't benefit from providing your email address to other companies with job opportunities.

The ad is posted on craigslist.com.  I am sure there are many legitimate job opportunities on craiglist, but they to attract their fair share of scammers.  Job hunting web sites like Careerbuilder.com deter scammers by charging companies to post an ad.  Also on a web site like Careerbuilder.com contact information like the name and address of the company is typically included on the page where you apply for a job so an ad with just an email address would come across as extremely suspicious to the average job hunter.

If you feel you the job you applied for on craigslist is a scam you can flag it as spam by clicking on a link in the upper right hand corner of the page where the add appears on craigslist.  

How to Go Glam Without Going Broke

Dressy occasions offer the perfect opportunity to let the more glamorous side of your personality shine through with luxurious fabrics and sparkling jewelry. Even if your social calendar includes more backyard barbeques than fancy balls, it’s a good idea to own a few dressy pieces that can rise to the occasion. I’m not talking about a wardrobe packed with fancy frocks a prom queen would envy. I’m talking about chic trend proof pieces that will see you through holiday parties, weddings or most other elegant affairs.

AB Studio Pleated Dress $32.45

For occasions that are dressy but not formal enough to break out the tiaras and ball gowns, wearing coordinating separates instead of a dress is a pretty budget friendly way to go. With separates only parts of the outfit have to be dressy thus allowing you to combine pieces you wear on a regular basis with a few dressier elements. A knee length skirt in dressy fabric like heavy satin elevates a basic sweater and skirt outfit into something a bit more special.

Metallic Knee Length Lace Skirt $29.00

 A nice pencil skirt worn with a fancy sweater embellished with fancy embroidery or beading at the neckline looks pretty and polished. The sweater embellishment eliminates the need for a fancy necklace, meaning you could easily get away with wearing simple costume jewelry, like pearl studs or diamond solitaire earrings, and still look fully accessorized. A clutch purse in a patent or metallic real or fake leather is terrific day into evening accessory that’s far more versatile than a fancy evening bag.

No let’s talk about dresses. I believe this is the part where I am supposed to declare the virtues of the little black dress for it’s versatility. I’m all for versatility, but I’ve worked in retail selling women’s clothing and I still remember the disgusted look women would give me when I suggested a tasteful little black dress. These women weren’t looking for a dress so basic and forgettable that it’s personality could be completely transformed through the use of accessories. They were looking for a dress with real personality.

Yes you can wear a dress with a distinctive look over and over again depending on where you intend to wear it. If different events have you coming in contact with completely different groups of people, then wearing a stunning floral print or dramatic red dress more than once is no big deal. Your audience has no idea that you have worn the dress before. That said, do try rotating looks so the same dress that you wore to a wedding is not the same dress you wear to a bridal shower, a business networking event and anything else that calls for a dressier look. If you show up in pictures from various events in the same outfit it looks like you only own one nice dress. To make a dress look like a completely new outfit, layer a nice sweater or fancy button up jacket over the top of the dress so it looks like you are wearing a top and skirt combination.

It’s fairly easy to find budget friendly materials that look like more luxurious fabrics. It’s possible to find washable polyester that could pass for real silk as well as quality cotton knits that could easily pass for cashmere. The only material you want to avoid in eveningwear is any fabric made out of acetate. Acetate is a weak poor quality fiber used for garments like prom dresses that are designed to only be worn once. A social butterfly like you demands more out of her party clothes than just one wearing!

Feel Beautiful for Less with The Victoria's Secret Sale

Lingerie isn't the only indulgence from Victoria's Secret that feels good to wear.  Victoria's Secret has come out with a line of skin pampering products derived from natural ingredients.  The line is called Naturally Victoria's Secret. 

For Cheap Divas, there is nothing natural about spending top dollar, which is why you should take advantage of the buy two get one free deal for the Naturally Victoria's Secret line going on through July 14 if you want to stock up.

Acai Berry & Magnolia Indulgent Bath & Body Oil $20.00.

How to Create a Style Mix that Works

An outfit that mixes different pieces of your wardrobe together in an unexpected way has the potential to look fabulous or frightful. Trying to hard to come up with a clever combinations can result in some truly regrettable fashion statements. Like the time all the fashion magazines were promoting the girlie/macho look consisting of a light flowing summer dress accessorized with heavy biker boots. Instead of looking like a fashion plate, this combination made the wearer look like she was having a serious identity crisis.

Steve Madden Kappy Flats $29.50

Take a closer look at an attractive outfit that combines pieces that appear to be very different in nature. At first glance the pieces may not look like they relate to each other, but when you look at things like texture, color, or silhouette you will find that there is some common thread (no pun intended) that pulls the whole look together.

While flipping through a clothing catalog an unexpected combo caught my attention. The stylist had paired a plain pair of pants with a white cable knit hooded sweater topped off with a black tailored jacket. At first the office appropriate jacket and a sweater inspired by a hooded sweatshirt seemed like an odd combination, but when I took a closer look at the ensemble I understood why it worked. The jacket and the sweater were the same level of formality The sweater material, a medium weight cable knit with narrow cables that didn’t look chunky, was clearly a step above your typical sweatshirt. The tailored jacket was made out of a wool flannel material, similar to a wool blanket, that gave off a slightly more casual vibe than a smooth tightly woven fabric would have. Everything about the outfit had the same slightly relaxed fit. The sweater ended at the waist and was not baggy or sloppy. The jacket tapered slightly at the waist but the fit was still relaxed enough to accommodate the sweater underneath without bunching it up.

Mixing different patterns in the same outfit is tricky. The pattern mix that looks so chic on a runway model could easily pass for a clown costume when worn by real women in the real world. One misconception that prevents chic women from mixing patterns more freely is automatically thinking of a pattern as a graphic design that’s printed on the surface of a fabric. A pattern can be anything from a one monochromatic design that‘s woven or knitted into the fabric instead of printed on top of it to the open lacy designs of a crochet sweater.

One of the most casual yet chic takes on pattern mixing I ever saw was on an coworker at an office I used to work at. She wore ballet flats in a brown leopard print with slim khaki pants (no unflattering pleats), a long sleeved T-shirt in a rich teal color with a chocolate brown crochet sweater in an open design that let the teal show through. The unexpected combination of a pattern in a crochet sweater and leopard print flats worked because the patterns weren’t close enough to each other to clash. The dark brown in the print of the leopard print flats tied in nicely with the dark brown color of the crochet cardigan creating a more coordinated look while the teal T-shirt added some colorful relief to all of those neutral browns. The clever combination of pieces showed me that it’s really very easy to mix things up without looking like a mess.