Beg, Borrow, or Steal…The Short and Sweet Post for Babes on a Budget

Well, well, well…it happens to be that time again.  Yes!  You have guessed it!  It’s Tuesday, which means it’s time to beg, borrow, or steal. 

You know, I usually don’t agree with two out of the three of those things.  I find that it is rarely appropriate to beg for or steal anything, but I guess for our purposes I’ll condone it. 

I’m going to try to refrain from any crazy rants about poor shopping experiences or odd rhetoric about my unusual body parts today in hopes of keeping the post on this lovely Tuesday short and sweet.  Let’s get started, shall we?

Things to Beg for:

Oh golly...I love, love, love a fabulous trench coat.  I especially love one that has just the right amount of femininity to it, and the knit sleeves on this Viktor and Rolf trench give it just that.  Plus the color is just perfect, but it better be for $2,395.00.  

Available Here

Goodness...I love tassels, and I love Chanel, but maybe not for $2,530.00.

Available Here

Hello, Pretty!  Haute Hippie has done it again.  I. Want. This. Dress.  I guess it would also be nice to have somewhere to wear it, and until I do I am going to forgo spending the $565.00 on this little number.

Available Here

Things to Borrow:

If I were looking for an easy last minute vacay dress, I would look no further than this easy, breezy Missoni halter.  It makes me want to throw on some wedges, pull out a big pair of shades, and stroll through some Italian village.  While it retails for $695.00, you can rent it for 7 days for $69.50.  

Available Here

Since we are dreaming of an Italian vacation...maybe I'll rent a pair of these Chloe Abelie cat eye glasses to go with my rented dress.  Why not for an extra $14 a week? Hey, it's better than spending an extra $250 to purchase them outright.

Available Here

Things to Steal:

I am a huge fan of the shift dress, and if you're an 8 to 5 career girl you should be too.  Where else are you going to find a shift in this color AND an exposed zipper for around $66?  For that price, go ahead and kill me now because I'm already dying.

Available Here

Ok, so here is my solution for the perfectly put together, yet completely unfussy handbag for fall.  Her name is Edith and she is fabulous.  Everything about her is fabulous, including her price at only $70.  While the picture with the model shows her in a reddish color, I prefer her in black (with the shoulder strap, of course.)  She was also featured in the Zoe Report and People Style Watch.

Available Here

Personally, I love these.  (Yes, I do realize that I must personally love everything on this blog considering it is my blog.)  They're not too long, just the right amount of glam, and you can get them for less than $15.  Seriously?? Yes, please!

Available Here

Well, we've reached the end of our short and sweet Tuesday post.  Until tomorrow...

I'm wishing you light, love, and a sweet, sweet Tuesday.

Giveaway Monday & The Market Week Recap?? Yes, please!

I don’t know about you, but it was a little tough rolling out of bed this morning.  It has been a LONG week for this little fashion blogger, and I would like to thoroughly apologize to everyone for going MIA on Thursday and Friday of last week.  I was a little starry eyed from all the fabulousness that was showing at Dallas Market and by the time I got back to the hotel all I wanted to do was order room service and get a little beauty rest. 

Before we get on to the Giveaway for today, I want to give you guys some preview pictures of what I was seeing at Market and what you can expect from E.Leigh’s in the future!

I realize that most people (even the extraordinarily fashion savvy) have very little idea of what going to a wholesale market is like.  Well, to put it bluntly, it’s like going to the biggest mall you’ve ever seen and going through every possible clothing choice imaginable, all while people are serving you wine, margaritas, mojitos and food.  Yeah, it’s pretty much a dream come true, and I totally expect you to have feelings of jealousy towards me right now.   I hope we can move passed these feelings and remain friends.

Dallas is a little different than most markets because they have permanent showrooms. A showroom is a company that represents designers.  So, in one showroom you might have 5 or 6 brands showing.  I really enjoy going to permanent showrooms because you get to know the staff, and you know what to expect.

Now, on to the pictures!  I want to make it clear that by no means am I a photographer, and I have absolutely no intention of becoming one.  There I said.  I am a horrible picture taker.  Go ahead and add it to my list of weaknesses.  

One of my favorite purchases I made this past week were a few styles of the SO popular Yosi Samra foldable flats.  I have been lusting over these babies for a while, and now I am going to carry them at E.Leigh's!  While you can pay in the upwards of $90 for a pair of these lust worthy flats, at E.Leigh's we are going to offer them for around $60.  

If you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, these flats have been all over the press (and the feet of celebrities) for a few months now.    

Let me assure you, they are so much cuter on feet than they are off of feet!  Here are a few pics of people sporting their Yosi's...

Here are just a few of the pieces of press these adorable flats have received!

We should have our first two styles in by the end of August which will be a nude patent and a nude snakeskin.  I was a little weary about snakeskin, but they were PRECIOUS in person.  They are the perfect pair of shoes to start building your fall shoe collections! Go ahead and put these down as a must-have.  

I also found some apparel I am dying to add to my own personal closet...

I fell in love with EVERYTHING Charlie Jade was showing.  They're stuff can get a little pricey, but it's totally worth it!

O.M.G. I love this dress!  This will definitely be my go to holiday party dress...

Goodness, I love outwear.  This coat from Ark & Co. was swoon worthy.

Ok, so I had this exact little overlay in pink this past Spring.  Every time I wore it, I would have people ask me about it, so I ordered it in black for fall!  It's hard to tell by the picture, but it's not a full on blazer. It's cotton and very lightweight.  Truthfully, it's about the same heaviness as a breezy cardigan. 

I'm still dying over maxis...and they're here to stay...

through fall...

...and next Spring.

There was SO much more where that came from!  I will definitely be keeping you guys posted via our Facebook page on new arrivals!  

Now, on to the FREE STUFF!  Who doesn't love something fun, fabulous, and free?!  I know I do!  Today's Giveaway Monday item is...

TA DA!  

This lovely drape necklace is one of my favorite pieces from E.Leigh's!

Now, most of you know the routine.  To enter to win this gorgeous necklace...

1. Click the "Join Our Site" button under the Followers tab on the right side of the screen and sign up via your Yahoo, Google, or Twitter account.  

2. Post a comment under this post stating your favorite season for fashion!  Is it Fall (definitely my fave), Spring (maybe you love feminine dresses?), Summer (are you a shorts and a tank girl?)....whatever it is, let me know!

If you are having trouble with the following, use the "contact" link at the top of the page and we'll figure something out!

I am now extending the deadline until Tuesday at midnight to sign up for this fabulous giveaway!  

Until tomorrow....

I'm wishing you light, love, and luck on this Giveaway Monday!

"What were they thinking?" Wednesday: A post devoted to the never good, always bad, and just plain ugly.

Well, hello again!  Can you believe it’s already Wednesday?  These weeks seem to fly by!  Before we get started with today’s post, I would like to announce the winner of this week’s Giveaway Monday. The winner will receive this fabulous Rose Gold Boyfriend Watch.

  

For those of you who don’t follow fashion trends, rose gold has been SUPER popular on both the east and west coasts for a few months now and it's going to be HUGE this Fall.  It was all over the accessories market in NYC this past May.  Seriously. Pretty much what I’m telling you is to go ahead and stock up on this fun and feminine hue.  Don’t you worry your pretty little head; E.Leigh’s will have plenty of it for you to peruse.

Now for the winner!

                                  The winner is…...

Lindsey Holmes Hendricks!

Lindsey said…

Lindsey, email me your shipping info. at E.Leighs@yahoo.com so I can get you your watch ASAP!  Enjoy!

Now, on to today's horrifying post!  

While there isn't a theme for this week's atrocities, I would like to start off by saying that most of these pics are not suitable for small children.  The pics below are what my nightmares are made of.  While I do my fair share of exaggeration, these pics are not a joke.  They're seriously bad.  Seriously.  Let me add to this that if you are letting your small children read my blog, then you have MUCH bigger issues than them seeing the pics below.  

And we're off...

Someone call DHS fast.  I'm pretty sure this is on the verge of being child abuse.  Ok, well maybe not child abuse, but definitely fashion abuse.  I wonder if his mother tells him not to get his chaps dirty when he goes outside to play.  You know it's bad when the father is wearing less clothing than the mother.  Guh!

Someone needs to inform this lady that mom jeans do not make the best daisy dukes.  Whoever thought daisy dukes were a good idea in the first place??? I say we track them down and make them pay for this horrible trend we are still seeing the repercussions of.

Where was this girl's mother when she went prom dress shopping?  This girl is going to have to go through YEARS of therapy to overcome this traumatic event. Years, people.

The President thanks you for your support, but I think that there are other ways to get involved in the 2012 campaign. JMO.  

That's all for this Wednesday's fashion woes.  If you feel the need to purge your fashion soul of its past fashion fails, forward your pics to E.Leighs@yahoo.com and check back on Wednesday to see if you made the “What were they thinking?” post.

Ta ta for now, my dears!  I will be sure to post some pics from Dallas market week!  Until then...

Wishing you light, love, and an exceptional Hump Day!

Beg, Borrow, or Steal…The Post for Babes on a Budget

Top of the morning (or afternoon, depending on when you’re reading this) to you, my dears!  I hope everyone’s day is going swimmingly so far.

So, last night I got to thinking…we have Giveaway Mondays, and we have “What were they thinking?” Wednesdays, but what do we have for Tuesdays?  Hmm…Tuesday is an odd day if I do say so myself.  And then it came to me.  Aha!  We need a day purely devoted to looking at beautiful things, and not just beautiful things that will cost you your first born child, but beautiful things that even a newly self employed person (I don’t know who I could be talking about???) can afford.  Because believe me, I know life isn’t always filled with Birkins and Manolos.  Sometimes life is filled with Forever 21 (gasp!) and Charlotte Russe.  Not that there‘s anything wrong with either of those places. (I’ve shopped at both PLENTY.) However, it just really isn’t my cup of tea. 

You know, it’s not even the actual stores that I have a problem with.  It’s the shoppers.  When I shop at one of those places, I always find myself in a pickle.   I can’t decide whether to ignore their disturbingly bad choices and mind my own shopping business, or to politely inform them that a skin-tight mini and a crop top isn’t the easiest look to pull off and they might want to reconsider their selections.  Because if we’re being honest, who in the world can pull off THAT kind of look?  The only two people who should be raising their hands right now are Sienna Miller and Kate Moss.  If you are reading this and happen to think this is a good look for you, email me immediately.  We will schedule weekly coaching sessions.  No charge.  I’ll consider it my good deed of the month. ;)

Ok, back to today’s post!  Today’s post will be broken up into three different sections.

Section 1: Things to beg for…

This section will consist of designer fashion goods that most of us would have to sell one of our kidneys to afford.  Sidenote: I thought about selling my eggs at one point.  Eggs sell for A LOT of money, you know.  My grandmother did not find that humorous whatsoever.

Section 2: Things to borrow…

This section will consist of fabulous fashion goods that you can borrow.  No, seriously.  You can rent them for a few days, a week, a month, and so on.  Have a fabulous fundraiser you’re attending?  Rent a designer gown!  Have a bachelorette party in Vegas soon?  Rent some fabulous jewelry!  Have a frienemy coming into town that you want to one up?  Rent a designer handbag for the week!  (I was kidding about the last part….or was I??)

Section 3: Things to steal…

This section will be purely devoted to fabulous fashion finds at prices too good to pass up.  You know, the stuff us normal (not that we’re not completely fabulous) people can afford.

And here we go…

Things to Beg for…

I absolutely love the print on this ISSA dress.  If you have an extra 750 buckaroos hanging around, it can be yours.

Oh my!  Chloe has outdone themselves!  Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous.  But, I guess it better be for $2,195!

Things to Borrow...

This lace whispers dress by Proenza Schouler dress is absolutely divine.  While it retails for $1,525, it can be rented for $200.  

Click here to rent this.

These show stopping earrings by Dannijo retail for $320, but can be rented for $35.  Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

Click here to rent these.

I'm not going to lie.  If I had an extra $1,820 in my bank account, it would be very hard to pass up the Chloe Marcie bag in this fabulous cream color.  But since I don't, I will have to settle for renting it for $77 a week or $250 a month.  

Click here to rent this.

Things to Steal...

Love the color, love the bow, LOVE the price!  For $75, this is totally doable.

Click here to purchase this.

I am a firm believer that everyone needs a good taupe shoe.  It's just a cherry on the sundae if they happen to be on sale for less than $30.

Click here to purchase these.

This clutch that doubles as a crossbody was not only featured in People Style Watch, but is a steal for only $52.

Click here to purchase this.

Until we meet again, have a grande time begging, borrowing, or stealing.

Wishing you light, love, and a lovely Tuesday.

Giveaway Monday: The perfect cure for a case of the Mondays

I happen to be feeling extra, EXTRA spiffy this morning.  Why would I be feeling this spiffy on a Monday morning, you ask?  Well, there are two very reasonable answers for this.

Reason # 1…

It’s Market Week! 

I LOVE going to market, and when I say, “LOVE,” I actually mean love.  I love going to Market so much that if I had to choose between going to Market or finding my soul mate/future husband/future baby’s daddy I’m not so sure what I would choose.  No joke.  At this point, I’m leaning towards Market.   The Dallas Market Center is 15 stories and 5 million (that’s right, million) square feet of glorious, wholesale goodness that makes my heart skip a beat every time I go.  I would move in if they’d let me, but I think that’s frowned upon. :(

And Reason # 2 just happens to be…

It’s Giveaway Monday!

Personally, I love Mondays…and I’m pretty sure that Mondays are quickly becoming the new Fridays.  Oh, well…maybe not, but I’m still feeling rather strongly about Mondays. 

I think it’s time to turn the focus on you for a second.  Yes, you may be back at the old grindstone.  And yes, you may be counting down the hours until happy hour, but I’m going to give you something shiny and new to set your sights on until then.  Who knows…it might even make counting those hours a little easier. 

The stupendous giveaway item today is…

a Rose Gold Boyfriend Watch from E.Leigh's, which happens to be available here.

Ok, I seriously love this watch.  When I found this watch, I had to get an extra one just for myself!   I find it just that fabulous.  The picture below is of me wearing my rose gold boyfriend watch.  And don’t judge me.  I know I have the funniest looking wrists in the world.  Not only are my wrists small and flat, but I also happen to suffer from the wrist equivalent of cankles.  I like to refer to them as “wrands,” and unfortunately it’s incurable.  This is the first watch I’ve bought in years because of my insecurities regarding my “wrands.” You should thank the good Lord right this second that you don’t suffer from these atrocities.

So how do you enter to win this Rose Gold Boyfriend Watch??  All you have to do is join our site and leave a comment on this post stating the one fashion piece you are lusting for right now.  Is it a new handbag?  A gorgeous pair of studs?  A pair of fantastic wedges?  Tell me about it! 

For those of you who are new to the blog world, all you have to do to join our site is click on the button that says, “Join Our Site” under the “Follower” tab on the sidebar.  From there it will prompt you to sign in with your Twitter, Gmail, or Yahoo account, and voila! You have joined our site!  Yay, you!

Wishing you light, love, and a beauty filled Monday.   

“What were they thinking?” Wednesday: Designer Edition…because even Dior makes mistakes.

Before we get started with today's post,  I would like to announce the winner of "Giveaway Monday"!  

The winner is... 

Kate AKA "Baboo &am; Mogwai"

Kate, please email me at E.Leighs@yahoo.com with your mailing address so I can get you your fab studs and People Style Watch subscription!

xo, Erin

PS. I hope you get your new pair of flats. I have my eye on a taupe pair of Tory's (who doesn't love a good Reva??) and a rose gold pair of Yosi Samra foldable flats for fall.

Now, back to today's regularly scheduled post...

While there isn’t a human being on the planet (myself included) that hasn’t rocked a fashion fail or two, we have come to hold designers to a certain standard.  Sometimes forgetting that these awful, terrible, atrocious, no good ideas we witness on the street must have come from somewhere, and the majority of the time it has trickled straight down from the top. 

This Wednesday, let’s celebrate (or at least get a good chuckle out of) all the abominable designs that are spawning fashion faux pas everywhere.    

Disclaimer: The following pictures may display the repercussions of designers gone rogue, which may not be suitable for children (or anyone with any ounce of style.)

Ah, Christian Dior.  According to these shoes, the classic, world renowned designer is getting in to the fertility business??  No, seriously.  What is going on here?  These shoes would be hideous even without the odd pregnant lady heel.  

I never thought Karl Lagerfeld could go wrong, until I saw this little beauty from Chanel.  Oh, Karl!  What happened here?  

The only two events this outfit would be appropriate for are:

1. A Star Wars Convention

OR

2. A "Harry and the Hendersons" marathon

I'm not going to lie.  A "Harry and the Hendersons" marathon doesn't sound half bad right about now.

Let's be frank.  I don't know who designed this, and I don't want to know who designed this.

It makes my soul hurt.

This shoe was designed specifically for the woman who is going for the "scuba chic" look.  If you are concerned about wearing stilettos in the ocean, then you have much bigger issues than this shoe/flipper.

This one is for all the carb lovers out there.  I'm pretty sure you'd gain 15 lbs just by putting this outfit on.

Dear Lord,                                                                                                  

Please do not ever let me see someone wearing this coat (or whatever it may be.)

                                                                                        Sincerely,

                                        Me

If you're looking to be recruited for Ringling Brothers, this may just be the thing for you.

For those of you who are looking to get a head start on this year's Halloween costume, look no further!  This get-up is guaranteed to scare away children and small animals everywhere.

Free People!!!  What is this?!???? Someone, please help me understand what is going on here.

Have no fear, my lovelies.  I will most certainly post some dazzling and delightful pics tomorrow, just to  make up for all the monstrosities posted today.

Wishing you light, love, and a beauty filled Wednesday,