Coral Cobalt Crush

 

(Tank Top by Forever 21, Cami by Target, Capris by Target, Sandals by Target, and Purse by Aldo)

Last weekend I had a great visit home (ahem, my loving parents spoiled me.) However, I've always been a big believer in getting several pieces of new clothing at cheaper stores than getting ONE really expensive piece at a huge brand-name store. That's not me passing judgment on high-fashion brands, there are several pieces I'm pining over from the likes of Prabal Gurung, Emilio Pucci, and Missoni. But until I've risen from the ranks of semi-broke college graduate, I've got to keep my finances in check. How do I do that? Honestly, Target is one of my favorite places to find clothes. They've been partnering with amazing designers for quite a bit now, and so they know what's up in the world of fashion. Forever 21 is also great for some gems, and my newest obsession for jewelry and purses? Aldo!

Two of my favorite colors this summer have been coral and cobalt blue, and so I decided to mix and match the two in this outfit. I normally dress down when traveling, but for my five hour train ride back to my apartment I decided to go for something a little more fashionable--and it was totally comfortable at the same time! None of the clothing was over $20, and so it totally matched my wallet's capacity.

My FAVORITE purchase was the purse from Aldo. If any of you follow me on Twitter or Socialbliss, you know I've been wanting a structured orange purse. So what do I see when I walk over to the sale shelf in Aldo? That's right, it had my name all over it. The saleswoman was so so sweet too, and totally patient as I tried to limit myself to just two choices. The best part? The purse was originally $50, but was marked down to a sale price of $40...BUT WAIT, all purses on sale had an extra 50% off, so I got the purse for $20!! That's a total steal. And it's the perfect size to hold all my stuff on the days I go into my internship. Although I haven't been using it, it also comes with an attachable strap so that I can wear it over my shoulder. I find it's a little too big to rest against my hip comfortably, but it's nice to have. The backpack I was using before I bought this beauty is feeling ignored, but I think she understands.

Aldo also had some great deals on their jewelry (the silver ring in the above picture was part of a 2 for 1 deal). Another cheap way to add to your jewelry collection? Check out what your mom's packing! I found the adorable silver/red stone ring on her dresser and the second I tried it on claimed it as my own. She's not sure where she got it from--any ideas? I also cleaned out my jewelry boxes while home (there was too much old Claire's and Icing jewelry to be allowed) and found the beaded Marc Jacobs necklace I'm wearing in this look. Oh how wonderful cleaning can be sometimes.

Last thing, I've got to apologize for the less than attractive backdrops in some of these pictures. The apartment is at bachelor-pad status right now, but until I get a boyfriend or hire myself a photographer ;) you'll be getting these lovely Myspace-esque photos from me!

So tell me, what are your favorite colors to combine this summer?