Friday, November 30, 2012

ladylike

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I felt very girly wearing this blush, black and white outfit. I don't really own a lot of items in the pink family besides this cardigan, my pink chambray shirt and my LC blazer. Although I would consider myself pretty girly in the sense that I like clothes, painting my nails and not getting dirty, I don't really do pink. I don't have some deep explanation for this. Maybe my parents dressed me in only gender neutral clothing as a child so now I've continued this in adulthood?

Ok, I'll stop now ;)













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Last day left to win one of these purse tassels

















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Cardigan: Banana Republic Outlet  {similar}
Blouse: Forever 21  {save, similar}
Pants: Urban Outfitters  {exact}
Earrings: Tiffany & Co.  {save / exact}
Necklace: Souvenir from Germany  {similar / splurge}
Watch: Fossil  {save / very similar}
Bracelets: Forever 21
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs  {exact on sale}
Purse: Kate Spade {save / similar}














via Instagram













Thursday, November 29, 2012

Behind the Blog: Twelve by Six

This week's Behind the Blog is about Laura who blogs at Twelve By Six. I don't remember how Laura and I even crossed paths, but she is now one of my blogging BFFs, and also the only blogger I've ever met in real life. She's a smart and beautiful girl, so I'm thrilled to have her here today!



Tell us what motivate you to start blogging. Were you following a lot of personal style/fashion blogs before you started blogging?

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

One Item, Four Ways: Loft Sequin Striped Top


I purchased this Loft top as a part of my November Budget. After finding out that Whitney also just purchased the same top, we decided it would be fun to show multiple ways of wearing the same top using pieces in our own closets. Although I maintain that my blog is not about dressing up (but rather actually showing what I wear every day), I had a great time playing around in my closet coming up with these outfits. It made me realize what I'm lacking (skirts, heels, evening bags) but also made me think of future outfits I can wear with my new shirt. Our four categories are work, date night, girls night and party. Make sure you check out her post as well! Girlfriend has a great collection of skirts :)

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Work

At work, my legs have to be covered and my shoes have to be flat. I went with some of my favorite pieces - a classic blazer, dark wash skinny jeans, and cap-toed flats. It allows a fun and sparkly top to pop out without being overbearing in a work environment.

Blazer: J. Crew  {exact}
Jeans: American Eagle  {exact}
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs  {exact on sale}
Earrings: Tiffany & Co. {exact}
Watch: Fossil  {very similar}
Bag: Kate Spade  {similar}
Purse Tassel: DIY by my mom (win one here!)







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Date Night

Between Chris's long rotation hours and loans, and how much money I've had to put into school applications, most our our date nights are very casual and inexpensive. We like to go to movies (usually a matinee) or just going on walks with our dogs. For this outfit I choose comfy shoes, a crossbody bag, and my new cargo jacket I purchased in Germany. It allows a dressier top to seem a bit more casual.

Jacket: Hof Germany  {similar}
Bag: Gift from my BFF Hannah {similar}
Jeans: American Eagle  {exact}
Shoes: Rocket Dog via DSW  {exact}
Watch: Target
Bracelet: DIY
Nails: seen here




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Girls Night

I think this top was made for girls nights. It's cute, sparkly and can stand alone without too many accessories- everything you need in a top! I paired it with my beloved black skinny jeans, a black trench for the treks between events (read: bars), a simple clutch and a pop of red.

Trench: Banana Republic  {very similar}
Jeans: Urban Outfitters  {exact}
Shoes: Unlisted  {similar}
Clutch: Forever 21  {similar}
Bangles: Forever 21









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Party

I'm in love with this outfit and wish that I had somewhere to wear it to. Subtle pattern mixing and classic pieces allow the top to take center stage. Sequins were made for the holidays!

Skirt: Target  {similar}
Belt: Old Navy  {similar}
Heels: Nine West via Marshalls  {similar}
Clutch: Charming Charlies  {similar}
Bracelet: InPink

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

double the layers, half the frump

how to layer a button up under a sweater

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I was having a problem with getting my life figured out layering shirts. I couldn't get the button down/sweater look  to work without my entire torso turning into one big blob. Bri suggested I try layering a tank top in between the two layers to help smooth out the button up. Duh. This is why I blog - so I can complain and you guys can teach me how to dress myself. I wear these tanks exclusively, and they do just the trick for this little trick ;) I've also heard great things about these, so it may be worth checking out!

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Sweater: J. Crew Factory  {exact}
Button-up: J. Crew  {similar}
Jeans: American Eagle  {exact}
Watch: Fossil  {similar}
Shoes: Tory Burch  {exact}
Nails: seen here

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Sunday, November 25, 2012

First Snow

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No, it unfortunately (fortunately?) has not snowed in Madison yet, although it seems that much of northern Wisconsin was covered in snow this past weekend. I'm not a huge fan of snow on the ground anyway, but I do like the idea on my nails!

Julep sent me* this beautiful dark teal as well as a few other colors I'll post about soon. I've been a long time fan of the brand, and the colors I received did not disappoint. For those of you who haven't heard of Julep, they are a nail polish company that can be found online, in Julep parlors across the country, and Sephora. If you become a Julep Maven, each month you are sent a box of 2-3 nail polishes as well as a few extras (I've received glitter pots, hand lotion and nail polish remover pads). The thing that drew me to Julep versus other beauty boxes is that you get to see what you are going to receive each month, you can switch to a different box if you don't like the one chosen for you, or you can opt out completely of that month if you decide you don't want anything that month.

If you are interested in becoming a Julep Maven, you can take the beauty quiz here to get started. If you are interested in purchasing nail polishes separately from the Maven program, you can use the code VIP20 to receive 20% off any purchase greater than $20.

Teal: Julep Donna, c/o
White: Julep Eileen (dots made with dotting tool)

Linking up with the Nail Files and Mani Monday.

*This is a sponsored post. I received nail polish for free, but all opinions are my own!

Saturday, November 24, 2012

November Budget

1. J. Crew Factory Tippi: $70 + 50% off = $35
2. Forever 21 Striped Top {seen here}: $20
3. American Eagle Skinny Jeans {seen here}: on sale for $35
4. Urban Outfitters Staring at Stars Cardigan {seen here}: $69
5. Forever 21 Polka Dot Contrast Scarf: $13
6. Banana Republic Outlet Earrings {seen on instagram}: $7
7. J. Crew Outlet Perfect Gingham: $60 + 50% off = $30
8. Loft Sequin Striped Tee {seen here}: $50 + 40% off = $30

November Budget: $239







While this is $90 over my self-imposed budget, I sold over $120 worth of clothes on eBay this month, so I feel that it kind of evens out how much I spent. I should have been smarter about purchases this month as I spent a majority of this month's spendings (~$120) over the Thanksgiving week (the 2 J. Crew tops, the Loft top, the scarf and the earrings). I felt like I was holding back on purchases as there were several items I put back in their place instead of taking them to the register, but again, writing it down makes me realize that those 5 items add up quickly. I think December will be much better for my budget. I have quite a few new items that I already have several ideas for (look for a post about this later this week!) and my family is also not exchanging gifts this year for Christmas as we are going on a family vacation, so that will keep me away from the mall as well.

How did you do this month? Did you find some awesome deals during the Black Friday sales? Do you put away money the rest of the year to save for this weekend? Link up with Budgeting Bloggers below -  please make sure you link back so your readers can discover other budgeting bloggers.



P.S. Don't forget to enter the Leather Tassel Giveaway!

Giveaway: Genuine Leather Tassel



My mom made me this purse tassel recently and I love how it adds a little something extra to my purse. She generously gave me one to giveaway to one of you as well! Just use Rafflecopter to enter below. This is open internationally and will run for a week. I'll email the winner at the end!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, November 23, 2012

sequins for all

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Happy Black Friday! Did you guys enjoy all of the sales today? Chris and I didn't leave the house until 8 AM for the mall and the outlet mall - we weren't going to fight anyone over some discounted shirts so we figured we might as well sleep in. I ended up buying a scarf (at full price....) at Forever 21, and then a button up and a sweater at the J. Crew outlet store. I also purchased this shirt at Loft on Wednesday. I bought my mom the same shirt as a birthday present - a girl can never have too many striped shirts or sequins! Later next week Whitney from Along the Lines of Style and I will be doing a "different ways to wear this shirt" post. I already know she's going to look adorable!

As far as "tightening" went over Thanksgiving, Chris and I took the pups on a 3 mile run that morning (it was like 50 degrees here!) and I didn't take seconds at dinner. I still got to enjoy everything about the day, but didn't feel as guilty at the end of it.




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My youngest sister Karoline offered to take these pictures so I made sure to throw in a few fashion blogger poses. Here's the over the shoulder /skinny face / hair touching picture. Looking good gurrrrl.



















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Top: Loft  {exact}
Jeans: American Eagle  {exact}
Belt: The Limited
Shoes: Tory Burch  {exact}
Bracelets: Borrowed from Mom
Earrings: Tiffany & Co  {exact}
Nails: Maybelline Racy Red
















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We also tried to take pictures for our Christmas card. I've heard that taking pictures with children is hard, but I feel dogs are even worse. Look at Baer being such a good boy, posing like the stud he is. Hans could not care less though.

















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Does this say "Merry Christmas from the Stewart-Hasselhof household"? Or does this say "Feed your boyfriend a cheeseburger, medical school rotations are starving him"?

















Changing Locations

Hey guys,

As some of you may have noticed, I have changed the URL of my blog. When I first started it, I wanted it to be Franish with 1 h, but it wasn't available which is why I had 2 h's at the end. When I was playing around on the design yesterday, I realized it was available and made the change. If you follow on bloglovin / google reader / facebook / twitter / instagram (Christ, social media seems to be taking over my life) you won't have to do a thing as everything has been transferred over. Older posts may have backlinks that don't work though. Please let me know if you have any troubles or if something isn't working.

Thank you for following along on this little hobby of mine. You guys are wonderful and I love that blogging has brought you into my life.

Franziska

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Foggy

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A few weeks ago I talked about how I wasn't sure what I was going to do about taking pictures once it was too dark before and after work. This morning I left home even earlier so I could make a little Starbucks run before work, so I figured I might as well check off some of the fashion blogging cliches in one picture.


Starbucks: check
In the middle of the street: check
Foggy ambiance: check
Skinny Leg Pose: check

Next week I'll make sure to cover hair touching, looking off into the distance, the flamingo, pattern mixing, and the "oh I didn't see you there" pose ;)

Shirt: Lands End, thrifted  {similar}
Cardigan: Old Navy  {exact}
Scarf: H&M
Jeans: American Eagle  {exact}
Shoes: Crown Vintage  {similar}

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

reporter

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My aunt is an optometrist in Germany and she generously made me a new pair of glasses since my old pair were "awful". I'm still getting used to these as they are quite a bit bigger than my last pair, but I've been told they are more flattering than my old pair was.


I think between the glasses and then blazer, I look like a news reporter. Maybe if this whole medical school thing doesn't work out (which it may not after receiving some disappointing news today) I'll go into journalism...













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Blazer: H&M  {similar}
Top: Forever 21  {similar}
Jeans: American Eagle  {exact, on sale}
Belt: Madewell  {similar}
Purse: Kate Spade  {similar}
Tassle: DIY by my mom!
Watch: Target
Shoes: Tory Burch  {exact}









Linking up with the Pleated Poppy

Monday, November 19, 2012

Tightening

How cute is that little one? He's one of my three new second cousins that I met this weekend.

We made it home safe and sound last night. I wish I could say the same for my luggage, which did not arrive as expected. I was pretty nervous about my luggage not arriving because I have some irreplaceable family keepsakes in that luggage but luckily I got it all back safe and sound. My camera, makeup, and toiletries were all packed in the suitcase as well, so pictures weren't an option this morning.

It's probably better that way, because I am not feeling up to par physically right now. I don't get to go to Germany often, so when I do, I gorge on all of the food. I definitely am not feeling too great about physical appearances at the moment. My family is traveling to Gulf Shores for Christmas, so I have 5 weeks to "tighten" it up.


To say I've been trying to lose weight most of the last 15 years wouldn't be an exaggeration. I can't really think of a time where I was content with how my body looked. It mostly doesn't bother me too much because I know that physically I'm healthy. I ran a half marathon a few months ago, I can run up stairs without feeling like I'm dying, I don't eat a lot of fast food. In high school I ran cross country and when I was still in college, marching band kept me really really active. Since then, I've somewhat lost the motivation, especially since I no longer have the scariest 75 year old yelling at me to push myself.

I think beyond the exercise aspect, food is really what does me in. It's not necessarily what I'm eating, but how much. I hate the feeling of being hungry. If you asked Chris what he disliked the most about me, I bet you he would say that I get really grumpy when I'm hungry. I get really possesive about my portions, and more is always better in my stomach's opinion. 

To be successful in a quest to feel good about myself physically, I need to change things. The first part is exercising. I like to sweat, I like to "feel the burn", but I'm also lazy and will look for any excuse to not work out. Exercise needs to be a part of my routine, something that I can't back out of. My plan is to do Jillian Micheal's 30 Day Shred Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings before work. It only requires getting up 35 minutes earlier, and then it's done. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I'm going to either go to the gym or to pilates (thanks Groupon!). Devoting 150 minutes a week to exercise is 1% of the week. I think I can handle that.

As far as food goes, in the past calorie tracking has really worked for me. I use the Calorie Counter and stick between 1500 -1800 calories. I always think how much that is, but when I total everything I eat, I see how easily the calories add up. Like clothing budgetting, when I have a set amount I'm supposed to stick to, I think more about what I'm about to eat. When I look at my meal calorie amounts, snacks and lunch (which is often times purchased at the work cafeteria) add the most to my daily caloric intake. I make the same 300 calorie breakfast sandwich every morning, and Chris and I make pretty healthy dinners (lots of fish, chicken and vegetables) so snacks and lunch need an overhaul. I plan on bringing more lunches to work (sandwiches, veggies, leftovers from dinner) and having more yogurts, fruits and nuts as snacks. I need to retrain my stomach to not yell at me when I haven't had anything to eat in 2 hours. 

So that's the plan. Hopefully by the time Christmas rolls around, I won't be rolling around as much.


Sunday, November 18, 2012

Guide to Preppy Dressing by the Preppy Leopard

You guys may remember reading about Tierney from Behind the Blog a few weeks ago. Tierney has that classic style when it comes to dressing, so I asked her to put together a little post about what constitues preppy dressing.


Just to clarify, my family doesn’t have a boat.  We don’t belong to a country club, and we are hardly American royalty.  (Although, we do have a castle in Ireland…or had a castle in Ireland…Long story.)

Really, I’m not sure from where my obsession with the stereotypically “preppy” look came.  I’ve always gravitated towards prep-school staples in nautical hues.  (I attended a private Christian school, but sadly, no uniforms.  I was probably the only person who wished we had uniforms.)

I think maybe I can point to a combination of Gossip Girl and J.Crew as the catalysts that pushed me over the preppy loving edge.  As an aspiring YA author, I devoured the entire Gossip Girl series and waited with baited breath for the television show.  Blair Waldorf quickly cemented her spot as the Queen B of my style loving heart.  I loved her school girl inspired pieces in classic colors.  (And, I also loved that when I re-watched the first season years later, she still looked stylish.) 

Then, I started working at J.Crew to make some extra money during college, and I learned the art of layering from dressing countless mannequins.  Now, I possess a closet that is 50% navy, 25% red, and 25% black.  Everything I own can be mixed and matched and will always look pulled together.  I’ve fixated more on quality and staying power of my clothing, versus freaking out over every new trend.  (And, when there’s a trend I kind of like, I buy it in a classic color that I can wear for the next few years.)

Interested in pulling together your own classic wardrobe, but not sure where to start?  Let me be your guide!

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Deutschland x Zwei

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Guten Tag! Another little update from Germany (see the first update here). Since leaving my grandma's, we've been in the city where my aunt and uncle live. I lived here in 8th grade when I went to school here for a year, and it's interesting to see how much, and at the same time how little, has changed. Here are a few snapshots...





The pharmacies are always so fancy here, especially the signs...











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...and so are the jewelry stores.

























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Enjoying a mid day beer down on the river with my uncle.
























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My aunt makes amazing quilts. She made me one back in 8th grade, and I still use it all the time. She made this one for my cousin, her stepson, for his 30th birthday.






















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Out in the city with my aunt's dog, Hermione. She's the most playful dog I've ever met. She looks like such a little teddy bear!

Blazer: J. Crew  {exact}
Scarf: DIY
Shirt: H&M
Bag: Mountain Stone via Boston Store  {similar}
Jeans: American Eagle  {exact, on sale}
Boots: Steve Madden  {similar}













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We went shopping at Hof - of course we had to go in and look around (and buy a few things)!






















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Yesterday was my cousin Johann's 30 birthday. Family members, co-workers, and childhood friends all came together to celebrate.






















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He was thrilled that his uncle, my father, was there.
























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At 82, my grandma was the first up to dance! Ok, just kidding, but she was having a great time.


Now my second cousins (I consider them first cousins because we're close in age and because our family is so small) are here with their babies. Tomorrow we leave to fly back already. I'm sad to leave, but at the time same I'm happy to going back to my own bed, my own schedule, and not eating all the time (ok, I will miss that).






Thursday, November 15, 2012

Behind the Blog: Putting Me Together

If you've spent any time on Pinterest, you have seen Audrey from Putting Me Together. She blogs about her experiences in learning how to, well, put her self together. She talks about the process of putting an outfit together, and how little changes can make all the difference. I'm so glad she agreed to participate in Behind the Blog!



Tell us what motivate you to start blogging. Were you following a lot of personal style/fashion blogs before you started blogging?

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

To the Fatherland

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Hello! I'm currently sitting in my Oma's living room in a food coma from all of the German food I am stuffing into my mouth. I'm here for the week to celebrate my cousin's 30th birthday. We're all really excited to get together - I only see my family every few years, and we've recently added some new members to our small extended family so this trip was needed! Here's what we've been up to the last few days...
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Cuddling with my favorite aunt's pets. This is my sister Viktoria and my aunt's new kitten...
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...and here I am with her dog. Doesn't she look good in her glasses?
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Yesterday we drove up to the city my parents studied at, where they married and where I was born. My dad was in a fraternity there, so we went for a vist. We brought over a beer pong table from the States that we gave to the house.

Then shenanigans ensued.
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I found new clothes to wear...
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....my dad and his fraternity brother showed the youngins how it's done...
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...we practiced our dance moves (please note my sister on the floor)...
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...and I found a car plate that combines my two homes.

The next couple of days will include shopping, picking out new glasses,  more eating, and family! I also will be posting pictures on instagram (@fhasselhof) if you want to follow along :)

I'm wearing:

Shirt: H&M  {similar}
Jacket: Forever 21  {similar}
Scarf: Scarf Obsession (the one I won!)
Jeans: American Eagle  {exact on sale}
Hat: Forever 21  {similar}
Shoes: Tory Burch  {exact}


Thursday, November 8, 2012

Advice for Shopping at Forever 21

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mentioned on Monday that I think I've figured out how to shop in Forever 21, and several people asked for tips, so I've been thinking about how I figured out how to shop there. Hopefully these help you in the land of inexpensive clothes and accessories.

1. Take your time getting to know the layout of the store. When F21 first came to our mall, I did not set foot in it for at least a year. It's huge, and has so much in it that I always felt overwhelmed. I slowly worked my way through the store and figured out the layout of the sections - the boho, the glam, the girly, the sale, the basic, the "kinda for the office" section.

2. Once you know what is found in each section , you'll slowly figure out what sections resonate with your style. I generally stick to the girly and the "office" section.

3. Take your time and walk around. I'm a big "toucher" when I shop. It drives Chris crazy but I like to walk around and just feel the clothes. I usually do 2 loops around the store and pick up anything that catches my attention. Don't feel that you have to look at every single piece in the store.

4. Try on anything that caught your attention. I generally try on 6-10 items when I shop at F21, and tend to buy maybe 1 of them. Which leads to #5...
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5. Figure out what pieces work and which don't. Many items are cut similarly at F21 (and most stores). At Forever 21, I can't buy blazers because they are too tight on my arms, dresses because they are too short, and jeans because they too short. That limits me to tops. I basically eliminated a majority of the store, but that also means I skip over a lot when I'm looking for things. By knowing what pieces won't fit me, I don't bother trying them on, thereby bypassing any feelings of annoyance while in the dressing room.

6. Don't be afraid to size up. I'm generally a size medium in tops in other stores, but am almost exclusively a large at Forever 21.

7. Don't forget the accessories department. I like the jewelry at Forever 21 more than the jewelry at H&M and you really can't beat the prices. When people ask me where my jewelry is from in real life, they are always surprised to hear Forever 21. They also have inexpensive scarves, bags and hair accessories.

8. Don't buy something just because it's inexpensive. What's the point if you aren't actually going to wear/love it?

I hope that helped! What advice do you have for shopping at Forever 21?
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Blouse: Forever 21  {exact}
Scarf: H&M
Jeans: American Eagle  {exact on sale}
Belt: Target  {similar}
Shoes: Tory Burch {20% off with code FANDF}
Watch: Kate Spade {exact}
Bracelet: DIY, J. Crew via eBay



















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Linking up with Real Girl Style and Work it Wednesday.