If you are following me for a while, you already know I love to dress. No –  let me rephrase that: I like to overdress. I like to have my own special moments with clothing that take me to the next level and if I don’t have an occasion to do it, I like to create one.

This was exactly the case on this past weekend. I have been to Skylands Manor before and knew how gorgeous the castle and gardens were, so I put together the perfect outfit to wear to such fabulous place.

Lately I haven’t been shopping in H&M for few reasons, but mainly because they are lacking big time in the fashion department, however occasionally something good will pop up and will change my mind. This dress was exactly that,  because it’s one of their most successful styles this year. It sold out almost immediately, but I got lucky and found it at a discount. I am pretty sure it was a return and that’s exactly why I constantly repeat in my blog and Instagram posts – if you like something keep checking your store because you never know when something will show up and because people return all the time.

But to me the most exiting part of this look was the jewelry. When I heard about the sample sale I got them from, the brand was new to me, but I liked the photos and decided to check it out. I am so happy I went. the brand is called Uno de 50 and everything is handmade in Spain with silver plating finish. The designs are so bold and unique and a definite statement maker. The prices were “out of this world” low and I got tons of amazing pieces.

The rest of the look were also sample sales finds:
Hat from Hat Attack for only $10.00
Shoes from Schutz for only $20.00 Both from Clothingline sample sales in NYC

I usually wear a lot of dresses, but this summer I am mixing more skirts into my wardrobe. I love pieces that I can wear more then once and style them differently for multiple occasions. Skirts are perfect for that. With minimal effort and change of accessories you can have a completely new look. I wear all my looks in real life and is important for me to get the maximum out of my shopping.

I was looking for a light summery skirt with a flow and chic quality to it and when I saw this one at Nordstrom Rack, I knew this was the one. I knew I wanted to mix some gingham print in the look, but wasn’t feeling all the black and white gingham that’s out now. I wanted to keep this look light and airy and the yellow gingham top matched my vision perfectly.

The accessories are mix of old and new pieces from my collection. My favorite MODO sunglasses are a sample sale find for $20.00 and my absolute favorite from their collection (I also have it in black) The round shape is super chic and never really goes out style. All the tassel pieces are from my epic $0.99 find from Saks Fifth Ave and I put them together with some I already own.

Now about this bamboo clutch. In the past few years I literally saw the original Cult Gaia back everywhere, every blogger, every magazine, every store. However I wasn’t sold on it because it was too expensive for a bamboo bag and completely impractical until I spotted this baby on Target website and the price changed my mind. I love the size, I love how it goes with everything and did I mentioned the price? Unfortunately as of this moment its sold out, but I am linking a similar one plus everything else from this look below.

After a long time away and no matter how much fun it was, it’s always nice to get back home.

I certainly had a great time in Sofia, but I had to face the reality of everyday life in NYC and I was so excited to do so. I had a lot of things on my calendar – tons of work was waiting for me, had to catch up on some shopping ( because I didn’t shop at all while away) and of course a date night with my husband. I needed an outfit that will take me from day to night without stopping home to change. I had the photoshoot with the amazing Jemima Richards already scheduled and decided to take full advantage of my day. Do my work in the morning, shoot my outfit and run to meet with my husband for dinner.

For the shopping part, luckily the Marc Jacobs sale was happening the day after I came back and I got there at the perfect time to score some super cute bags. When I say perfect, here is what happened. I go to the sale and looked around, but was very underwhelmed by the selection. The collection of stuff that I love was still very expensive ( I saw a denim jacket 90% off for $600.00 ) and the rest too dated and not exciting. Then I got to the bags table where the discounts were 85% for bags and 90% for SLG. At this exact moment they started to bring the Heart bags in two colors and  also boxes with wallets. The good part is that for some reason they had the bags as SLG and the discount was 90% so the price was $29.50 down from  $295.00. They were so cute I couldn’t decide between black and nude so I have to buy both. But at this price who can blame me. They sold out so fast that if I was a minute late I would not be able to get it.

The day of the shoot I left for work with my LV and later changed to the Heart bag that was the element that tied this outfit together. When  looking at this outfit, everybody assumed that this was a dress, but actually they are two separate pieces from two different brands. My skirt is H&M and I had it for some time now and the top ( CeCe by Cynthia Steffe) is a sample sale find for only $5.00 (originally $89.00 )

My booties are Karen Millen, you know I own tone of them because I buy them so cheap, usually between $10-$30, this particular ones were $20.00

My necklace is from one of the most epic sample sales I have ever been to where all the jewelry were only $1.00 and my earrings from another one for $5.00 The total of my outfit is $69.00  when the retail is close to $900.00

The whole day I was getting compliments on my look, the red was getting tons of attention. It was the perfect day to night outfit.

The world can’t  get enough  of   polka dots trend  and we   continue to  see it everywhere from    the runway to the streetway. Previously associated with vintage looks and considered  little bit of an old fashioned now polka dots are reinvented  and becoming a classic. Designers are having fun with it  and I see so many variations of it  from super girly to more structured and abstract looks. You can find  it on cool dresses, tops, jumpsuits, skirts and even accessories like hats, bags, scarfs and shoes.

I was browsing H&M  in early March  and  looking for a fun dress to wear for Easter.  Of course my first stop was at  the sales racks and the moment I saw this super fun dress I knew this is the one. Thankfully they had it in my size   and the price of $20.00 down from $59.99 was exactly  what I was  looking for. This is my usual thing when I am looking for a dress for a family event. I know I am only going to wear it once and  I don’t want to invest too much in it. H&M and Target are great places to find pieces like that because they always have something on sale.

The dress is sold online, but always check your local stores, because people often change their minds and return a lot of good things.

I wore the dress for  Easter lunch at home, but I loved it so much I had to take it out for another spin. I love mixing prints and pair it with this very cute DVF pumps I got at  the brand sample sale for only $40.00 and a Karen Millen clutch also a great find for only $20.00 down from $200.00

If you are afraid of mixing prints, follow the simple rule  I follow – make sure they are of very similar or exact  colors and the pattern is of a very similar or exact  size. Simple, right?

This was a semi-vacation for me, I had to do a lot of things, but also had a lot of free time to enjoy the city. As usual we (me and my sister)  started with coffee then a photo shoot and from there we went to a small restaurant called THE LITTLE THINGS. I noticed that there is a  really cool trend going on in the way some restaurants are decorated in very interesting and cozy mix of new and old.

When people are eating outside is easy to take good photos of the interior. I am sharing it here with you and hope you are enjoying my story and my look.

I am linking few polka dot options below  for you to try.