And The Winner Is ...

... the girl that chose the stunning Guard Ring In Sterling Silver from Jewels of Denial ...

(drumroll, please)

Jessica from Deus Ex Blogina!

(whose tagline under her header make me laugh right out loud with its funny)

Congratulations, chickadee!  Please, throw me an e-mail (bargainbex@yahoo.com) with all your deets so we can get the ball rollin' and your prettily designed ring

right on over to you to wear!

'Ringin' It' pic courtesy of Jewels of Denial

Red Hot

I don't think I've ever wished for my hair color to be red more than in this very moment.

Ravishing redhead pic courtesy of marie claire

My J. Crew Jubilee

It's official.  I turn the big 3-0 today (!) and my birthday wish to add some pretty girly pieces to my summer wardrobe came true all in the form of a little e-card from the one and only J. Crew:

{tissue mini-pocket henley}

{beach chambray ruffled vest}

{ribbon-and-rope necklace}

{stripe long-sleeve romper}

{ultra-knit weekend pant}

And, yes, all of these items came from my favorite of all four letter worded sections: SALE

(hey, a birthday girl's always gotta stay true to her bargaining ways, through and through!)

P.S.  One last birthday wish that you can help make come true?  Let me give one of you the chance to take your own little pretty home to show off on and around your fashion-y fingers by going here and commenting on which particular enameled piece you most fancy from Jewels of Denial.

All birthday present images courtesy of J. Crew 

Adoption Plan

Dear Bob and Cortney Novogratz,

I've been thinking.  After watching your creative genius whirl about as the brilliant design duo behind 9 By Design on Bravo every Tuesday night, I really think I could fit in rather seamlessly with your fam and friends (I mean, just look at me chillin' with you behind the desk - hee hee)

I could help you thrift shop 'til you drop and am pretty good at finding a bargain here and there (well, more like everywhere) and have always wanted to visit New York City and try my hand at interior decorating - and don't worry - my parents are totally on board with the idea (who are also major fans of the show) and have given me their blessing to do so (heck - my Papa has already asked if I need any help packing - he's so nice) 

So, what do ya think?  Could I be kid #8?  Maybe a name change is in order to 10 By Design?

Lemme know?

Bex.

Original image (pre-me) courtesy of The Well Appointed House

Workin' Up A Sweat

Never have sweatpants looked so good.

Sweat Stop of a pic courtesy of The Sartorialist

Jewels of Denial Giveaway

What better way to start a new week than with a great little giveaway?!

Luckily my friends over at Jewels of Denial completely agree with my sentiment and are giving one of you the chance to win one of your very own of the enamel rings offered on their super fantastic site (you lucky, lucky ducks, you!) Now here comes the hard part: you have to choose exactly which ring you will be showing off this upcoming spring-y season.  Man.  Decisions, decisions.

If I had the choice, I would definitely go with the ring pictured above (or maybe this one, yeah ... oh wait, this one is quite lovely too ... or this one ... hmm) but, the choice is up to YOU, my lovely little readers and you most certainly have a tough task at hand (I mean, they are all just beautiful!)

To enter, all you gotta do is: 

Visit the site and tell me which enameled pretty you would like to flaunt on your finger in the comment section below

(don't forget to leave an e-mail address or link of some kind so I can find and get to you if you are the victor!) 

and then

Wait for the winner to be announced right here in a week's time (May 31st, to be exact)

I can't wait to see who (and what) the winner will be ...

GOOD LUCK, EVERYONE!

The 'A Ring of Beauty' pic courtesy of Jewels of Denial

Happy Feet

Scored these puppies for a whoppin' three dollars and fifty cents at the wonderful world o' Walmart

(and just check out that toe cleavage - woo woo!)

Fancy footwork pic courtesy of bargain-hunting me

Recurring Randomness

The consensus says today's theme is:  I like pink!

style is style, women.fashionbeans.com, the drifter and the gypsy, design*sponge, everything, the clothes horse, design*sponge and a cup of jo

Mailbox Mag

When I pull out a new issue of Rouge Mag from my mail pile, I get all sorts of giddy knowing I'll soon be immersed in its glossy pages with tip after fabulous tip on which new make-up products and colors to try (you can go ahead and bet that I'll be donning CoverGirl's Smoky ShadowBlast in Citrus Flair thanks to the gorgeous eye displayed on the above cover) and how to spruce up my existing wardrobe with punchy pieces for the ultimate in summer style (not to forget the back page is FULL of coupons for any budgeter to try all the said savvy products)

What more could a bargain-y, wallet-watching girl want or ask for than this all-inclusive beauty budget guide?  Nothing, I tell you.  Nothing.

My Get Gorgeous Guide cover image courtesy of Rouge

Lovely Little Lingerie

I'm certainly not the biggest when it comes to what I've got 'up top,' but the bralette style saves me every single time and this particular pretty from UO at just twenty tiny dollars makes me want to go ahead and snatch it (and the other three available colors) right up.

Lace loveliness pic courtesy of Urban Outfitters

P.S.  No comments on my giveaway post means no winner to announce. Wah. Wah.  But have no fear because as the saying goes: If at first you don't succeed - try, try again!

Sole Sisters

Um, hi.  If I could have only four pairs of shoes for the rest of my life, they would be these from the Pierre Hardy collaboration for Gap's Fall 2010 Shoe Collection.  Yeah.

Now I just gotta hurry up and wait for them to arrive so I can buy, buy, buy!

Serious shoe heaven pics courtesy of Refinery 29

Romantically Raw

While waiting for the sunshine to make its summer-y debut, I almost always daydream of the day when I'll be able to wear fairy-like ruffles upon ruffles and walk barefoot wherever I go and with the shop, RawHemline, my every dressing dream is about to come true.

From ethereal dresses and the prettiest of jackets to the most wearable and artful of accessories, this dreamy destination is sure to fulfill my fashion-y season's fairytale with the happiest (and most serenely stylish) of endings.

Ruffled romance of a pic courtesy of RawHemline

I Did It My Way

Remember this post?  All about my friends over at eshakti dot com?  Well, I must be the luckiest girl in the whole wide world because they kindly offered a gift to me: any piece of my choice (!) AND I could customize it any way I saw fit - and that's just what I did - my way.

I thought I'd stick to my tried-and-true (or tried-and-blue) color obsession of the moment and went for the embroidered blue beauty above and knowing that I'd want to show off the incredible detail work, I decided to make it a tunic so I could mix it up and can't wait to wear it with anything from denim cut-offs to leggings or even tuck it into some skirts:

It came right to my doorstep in the time frame promised (with all requested changes) and I've been showing it off ever since (the workmanship is seriously that much more stunning in person) and I couldn't possibly recommend eshakti any more highly if I tried.

If you've ever wished you could just shorten, nip, tuck or tweak a piece right then and there while online shopping, you've met your match, right at your clickin' fingertips with the dream makers over at this amazing customization station.  Go now and do it the right way - your way - the first time.

First and third dressy detailed pics courtesy of eshakti

This Is Only A Test

Over on Forever 21's blog, The Skinny, I did what I was told (like the good little single student that I am) and took the test to see which 21Men stylish stud was my Guy Of Choice.

Without a moment's hesitation, I immediately cast my vote for The Urban Intellectual (pictured above) having been there, done that with one or more of the other choices.

I think it's safe to say that I need to add 'take more art walks' and 'visit more gallery openings' to my dating's to-do list.

Take the test here to see who's your first fella choice.

(then let me inquiring minds - like me - know in the comment section below!)

The Urban Intellectual image courtesy of The Skinny

Get Carried Away

 In anticipation of the SATC 2 movie premiering later this month (that just so happens to fall on my big 3-0 birthday this year making me believe, yet again, that there is absolutely no such thing as a coincidence) I'm over-the-moon excited to announce (drumroll, please) my very first giveaway! Yay!

 Have you ever wished you could literally walk where Carrie's (or Samantha's, Charlotte's or Miranda's) Jimmy Choo shoes have been? (I know I have, more than once, especially seeing Cynthia Nixon's stunners in the pic above - hello, gorgeous!)  Well, thanks to On Location Tours, your wish is about to come true!

 What fab freebie is yours for the taking, you ask?

 One gift certificate for two tickets to the Sex and the City Hotspots Tour in NYC (which runs daily and is an $84 value) could be yours through today's giveaway where you'll visit spots like:

Scout (Aidan's bar and business venture)

The location of the art gallery in SoHo where Charlotte worked

Buddakan (site of Carrie and Big's wedding rehearsal dinner)

And many more new locations from Sex and the City: the Movie

 The gift certificate never expires so you can use it whenever you can get you and your stylish self to New York City (have you ever been or ever really, really, really wanted a good excuse to go?  Now's your chance!) 

 All you have to do is tell me which character you think you are most like and whose closet most resembles yours and why.  I like to fancy myself a total Carrie (hence the hint in this post's title)  It's that easy.  I'll be running the contest for one whole week (remember to add an e-mail address to your comment if you don't have a blog link so I can get a hold of you) and I'll announce the winner (personally chosen by yours truly) here on Tuesday, May 18th. 

 So get your feet pedicure-ready to follow in the fashion-y footsteps of Carrie & Co. and I wish you the best, best BEST of luck!

 The fantastically Fab Four pic courtesy of CHURVAH

Ladies In Red

Further proof that wearing red lipstick should be mandatory.

Seriously.

So darn pretty.

The givin'-'em-lip pics courtesy of Little Plastic Horses, DISfunkshion and The Drifter and the Gypsy

Cocktails, Anyone?

Cocktail rings, that is.

When it comes to jewelry, I'm a one-statement-making-piece-at-a-time kind of gal.  Be it a bold, look-at-me necklace or a chandelier shoulder-grazing earring; always in minimal moderation.

So when I laid eyes upon the wowee-kazowee rings at StudioLeanne, I knew I had met my next flair for the jewelry dramatic's match.  And with prices ranging from twenty two to thirty four big (err, teeny) ones, I think I may have found my fingers' next perfect fashion-y fit.

Style statement now made and said.

Finger lookin' good pic courtesy of StudioLeanne

Happy Anniversary!

At exactly 10:35 p.m. on Thursday, May 6th, 2010 while sitting in front of my computer screen, I realized I have been at this blogging thing for exactly one year today (!) and wanted to send you all, my fantastically fabulous readers, a virtual thank you card for making me so stupid happy.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

The perfect card for such an occasion's pic courtesy of inacard

Spring Has Sprung

This was taken (by me) during a recent jaunt through The Gardens at Thanksgiving Point, and every day since, I've become quite accustomed to reliving the peaceful scene while imagining my next visit with a blanket in hand for a proper cotton candy-filled picnic.

And let's not forget to mention what I'll be wearing to such a dreamy event: nothing but the flowery-est (it'll do as a word for today's posting purposes) of dresses, like these Miss Selfridge pretties:

Won't you join me?

Proper picnic attire courtesy of Miss Selfridge

Eye Candy

If I had even an ounce of the talent that the lovely Jamie behind From Me To You has with a camera, I'd consider myself one lucky little chickadee.

I thought the least I could do would be to feature her today for my Website Of The Week and invite you into all the prettiness that she sees through her lens' eye.

No blog title of mine has ever been more true.  Serious eye candy indeed.

The if-I-could-wear-one-outfit-everyday-this-would-be-it image courtesy of From Me To You

Imitation Is The Sincerest Form Of Flattery

After seeing this bowed beauty, I wanted to try it out for myself (sans the cute ballerina bun since I sport a super short pixie cut) for a fun faux updo:

And so I did with a steal of a scarf that upon some serious tag inspecting turned out to be only three dollars and twenty for cents, thanks to Target. 

Imitated image courtesy of The Sartorialist

To Dye For

I'm thinkin' these tie-dyed top-siders could be my new Spring/Summer shoe staples.

I can just see them now not only complementing my every outfit, but also prettily lining the bottom of my closet with all their bright and cheery colors.

Hey.  Just sayin' ... it could happen (especially with the oh-so-wallet-friendly price tag)

Fifty-five dollar steppers pic courtesy of Sperry Top-Sider