Dress – Only $35! {similar options here and here!} // Bracelet // Purse {similar here and here} // Shoes {old, but other options here and here that I love!}

Oh hey friends – happy Monday! I’m a little exhausted after quite the epic weekend spending a staycation in Chicago {and doing all of the things!} and celebrating my boyfriends birthday on the beach. It was so nice to cram tons of fun things into a short weekend, but I could really use a nap right about now. Or more coffee, which will just have to do at work this morning 😉

In more fashion related news, I find that every summer there are new{ish} trends on the scene, and my fashion-loving self gets really excited. After doing a massive clean out of my closet a few weeks back, I spent a few too many weekends browsing {aka spending too much money} on a few new pieces to fill in some wardrobe gaps. On the whole I’m pretty good about buying classic pieces that last forever and a half, but more stylish, trendy pieces that come and go often don’t make it to my closet because I have a hard time investing in. If I know that fringe cut off skinnies aren’t probably going to make it for next years fashion round, why should I buy 10 pairs now?

But sometimes, resisting the urge to splurge on trends is hard – and that’s when stores like Forever21 and Old Navy enter the scene. I’ve always tried to be a little thrifty when it comes to buying clothes {I used to be a big fan of second hand stores for years!}, and so sometimes fast fashion has a little place in my closet, especially when it comes to trends that come and go. While stalking my friends and bloggers on Instagram {as one does…}, I found myself dying for a cute little lace up dress number. Lucky for me, Forever21 for hearing my fashion prayers!  The nice thing about adding some lower priced pieces to your closet is that if you tend to invest in high quality pieces most of the time, no one really knows that your little white dress was actually $25. And since I’ll probably only be wearing it this season, I don’t need it to stay in pristine condition for years to come – which is always good when wearing anything bright white. I don’t know about you, but as soon as I have a cup of coffee in my hand and anything white I have a giant coffee stain quicker than you can say “1-2-3”. The struggle is SO real, friends…  Do you happen to have any secrets to scoring your favorite seasonal trends for a steal? Please share with the class! I could always use a few more style secrets 😉 xx