Cheap S%$T Pick of the Week: Piperlime.com

I admit it.  I have a sick addiction.

The kind of addiction that once I start even thinking about it, I can't stop.  My adrenaline builds, I get this incredibly euphoric high, and all of a sudden I come crashing down.  I've tried to get my doctor-in-training sister to prescribe me something to get my mind off of it, but my disease in incurable.  There's no hope for me.  I will live the rest of my life knowing that I'll have to forcibly stop myself from pursuing this activity, or I'll be broke as shit.


Girls and boys, you know what I'm talking about.  Online shopping.  Especially with my fairly recent discovery of Piperlime.com

Piperlime is like the Zeus of online shopping.  No offense to Zappos, but I've completely switched to Team Piperlime within the past few months.  It has amazing brands, amazing prices, and most importantly, amazing sales.  The website includes both high-end brands and low-end brands but manages to have a fantastic selection of products when narrowing the search to Under $50.  When do you EVER see that?

One of the best features of Piperlime is free shipping both ways, with no minimum cost to do so (same a Zappos, but I just like Piperlime better).  My BIGGEST pet peeve (I really do have a lot of pet peeves, but this one is a biggie) is realizing that my shopping cart has $49 of items when I need $50 for free shipping, and nothing on the website is cheaper than $20.  I end up scratching my entire order out of frustration that one item would have blown my budget for me to receive free shipping on my order.

I've recently ordered this pair of flats from Piperlime, and I LOVE them.  So perfect for my fall flats collection.  They're called the Yvonna by Hive & Honey, and right now, they're $24.97 on final sale.  They also come in black with a brown ankle strap and red-and-"fall color" striped with a brown ankle strap.

So far, I've only bought purses and shoes from Piperlime, but they also have clothes, jewelry and accessories.  They also have a section with "picks" from style icons Olivia Palermo, Rachel Zoe, Rachel Bilson (wait where has SHE been???) and actress and model Byrdie Bell.  Another "Headlines" section puts certain clothes, shoes and accessories into specific categories like "Girl on a budget," "Fabulous flats," "Workweek chic," and more.

Word on the street is that Piperlime will be opening a store in New York City.  Needless to say, I'm pretty sure I'll be there once a week.

Have you had a great experience with an item from Piperlime?  Or do you prefer its sister brands - GAP, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Athleta?  Comment away!

Do It Yourself: Cap Toe Shoes (thanks, Courtney!)

I was in this very room! Way in the back, though...

One of my favorite parts of volunteering for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week this past February (besides just knowing that I was, in fact, skipping class for FASHION WEEK in NEW YORK CITY also known as a college girl's dream come true), was meeting the slew of volunteers who came near and far to get that insider's perspective of Fashion Week that so many people wish they had.  One such volunteer was this Canadian chick, Courtney, and we hit it off as fellow Canucks.  We drooled over Kellan Lutz together when we saw him front row of the Lacoste runway show, and stuck it out together when we were made to individually lint-roll hundreds of chairs after millions of tiny white feathers escaped a large runway prop.  She also introduced me to actress, fashion icon and socialite Olivia Palermo when we saw her leaving one of the Fashion Week tent-trailers.  Well, not exactly introduced, more like pointed her out while we gawked from afar.

BeTrendMe.com

Courtney's Twitter handle (@CourtneyJayBee) is hilarious, but it is also filled with fun crafty projects she picks up from a website called BeTrendMe.com.  BeTrendMe is a trends blog that gives "individuality" a whole new meaning.  The projects.  Are.  AMAZING.  One I became especially fond of as soon as I saw Courtney tweet about it - DIY Cap Toe Shoes.  I mean, just look at the picture!  Who wouldn't want a pair of these?!

My mission this summer is to make a pair of these ASAP as soon as I order some cheap white Oxfords.

How To Make Them

What You Need:

A pair of white Oxford flats
Neon fabric spray paint
Tape
Newspaper

What To Do:

1. Lay down newspaper to avoid getting spray paint everywhere.  Be sure you do this outside so then you don't fill your house with toxic fumes.
2. Place a line of tape on the toe part of each shoe.
3. Pick a color of spray paint and spray the toe part of the shoe.  Be careful to not spray past the tape.  The tape is there to leave a clean paint line after you remove it later.  Be sure to spray the shoe thoroughly leaving no white spaces, but do not go overboard meaning don't let the paint start to drip.  If it's starting to drip that means you've sprayed too much.
4. Leave your shoes outside to dry for at least a day.  Be sure to check the weather forecast for the night to make sure it won't rain.
5. After 24 hours, check on your shoes to see if they're dry.  If they are but you see the white fabric of the shoe seeping through the paint then spray on another layer.  If you don't and are happy with the final product then you are ready to wear them!

Voila!  Seems easy enough.  I'm thinking about buying some Krylon Spray Paint from the Blick Art Store in Fenway in either Fluorescent Cerise, Global Blue or Fluorescent Lemon Yellow and this pair of white oxfords that BeTrendMe recommends.  I can't seem to find another cheap pair of white oxfords.

What do you think about this trend?  Will it stay around for a bit this summer?  Interested in trying out this project?  Comment away!

Situation: #skinnybeltproblems

I've been having these problems for the past few months, ever since the weather started getting warmer in Boston.  Throughout the spring, I kept seeing girls walking down Comm. Ave. wearing amazing florescent-colored skinny belts, and I kept devising semi-casual ways I could possibly rip the cute little belts off of the girls and book it in the opposite direction.

Maybe the trend has come and gone, but I still think these belts are SUPER cute for the summer with a pair of high-waisted jean shorts and a comfy, airy tee shirt.  It's an easy accessory to throw on when you don't feel like picking out jewelry, and it's eye-catching in the best way possible.

So... I've done some research.  With inspiration from Refinery29.com,  I present to you: my top 8 brightly colored skinny belts for fashionistas with some seriously tight budgets.

1.  Braided Leatherette Belt (Forever21, $5.80, click here to buy)

2.  Double Studded Belt (Zara, $19.90, click here to buy)

3.  Metal Keeper Super Skinny Waist Belt (ASOS, $10.44, click here to buy) Also in Cobalt, Mauve, Pink, and Green

4.  Skinny Color Blocked (Piperlime, $29, click here to buy) Also in Yellow

5.  Goston (Aldo, $12, click here to buy)

6.  Cooperative Narrow Stretch Belt (Urban Outfitters, $20, click here to buy) Also in Yellow and Black

7.  Neon Me Belt (Francesca's, $12, click here to buy) Also in Yellow

8.  Bow Skinny Waist Belt (ASOS, $10.44, click here to buy) Also in Light Green

What do you think?  Is this trend still a "thing"?  Have you seen some cheap bright-colored belts at other stores?  Comment away!