Has this ever happened to you? I was flipping through a magazine and got all excited about a “get this look for less” story. I was excited, that is, until I looked more closely and saw that the magazine’s idea of spending less was an outfit made up of pieces under $100. The problem is, when you add all of those pieces up, you’re spending at least $500. And if you want just one little piece, most cost almost $100 anyway.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have $500 to spend on an outfit right now–even if it’s made up of the most versatile pieces in the world.

So I bring you my first post of what I hope will be a helpful series. I will show you two similar looks: one made up of investment pieces that right now I will just settle for swooning over and the other made up of pieces I can actually afford.

Since wedding season is upon us, I thought it would only be fitting to show you a cute little outfit that you can wear to your first wedding of the season.

Look 1: $$$

1 Dalia MacPhee, $278 | 2 Elsa Peretti Diamonds by the Yard from Tiffany & Co $1,950
3 Menbur, $148 | 4 Brian Atwood, $675
Total: $3,051

Look 2: $

1 Forever 21, $34.80 | 2 So Chic Jewels, $22.99 | 3 Carlo Felini, $47.19
4 Jessica Simpson, $79.99
Total: $184.88

I started both looks off with a dress in this summer’s hottest color: coral. Both feature a really pretty and interesting petal effect on the skirt. I added some studs for some sparkle (the top pair is real, the bottom pair is not), a silver metal mesh bag and a pair of killer peep toe platform pumps in blue. Love, love, love a contrasting shoe!

Now the clutch and pumps are a little on the expensive side for a bargain hunter, but since the dress and earrings cost under a hundred dollars combined, there was a little more wiggle room–especially if you know you’ll wear them again.

What do you think?

I’m completely obsessed with this whole sailor look that’s popular right now. OK, so maybe I don’t mean sailor. It’s the nautical trend that’s always so good for summer that has captured my heart.

Whenever you find yourself drawn to a trend like this, you should step back and figure out what it is that’s attracting you to it. If you can pull that out of your suddenly ravenous desire to purchase all things even semi-related to a particular trend, you can find pieces that you may actually wear once the fad fades.For me, it’s knots and stripes.

I like the texture of knots. It adds a lot of visual interest, making it perfect to use an accessory.

As for stripes, if I see them, I need them! They’re classic and versatile and give a slight nod to the French, which I’m always attracted to.

Now that I know that these are the aspects of the nautical trend I’m attracted to, I can look for pieces that reflect that. This means I can probably forget about the high-waist navy pants with hold buttons and the little sailor tops.

Instead, I’ll go for simple, classic pieces that will have a bit more staying power…

Knots

1 Mystic Knotwork :: 2 Tea Accessories
3 BROOKLYNrehab :: 4 American Eagle

Stripes

1 Mackenzie Mode :: 2 Bayan Hippo :: 3 Bath Style :: 4 Lands’ End

Striped Shoes

1 Roxy :: 2 Blowfish :: 3 Dorothy Perkins :: 4 Kate Spade

One of my closest friends is getting married and has told us bridesmaids that we can wear whatever color shoe we’d like since our dresses (at right) are floor length.

Now this is a terrible thing to do to a person as indecisive as I am (I kid, Aimee!). Making the decision even more difficult is the fact that our gorgeous gowns are navy and will go with pretty much any color our little hearts desire. I thought it would take forever to decide on a color.

But my equally indecisive buddy (and one of my fellow bridesmaids) and I shockingly came to a color conclusion pretty quickly. Since Aimee (the bride) has chosen orangey flowers, we decided we want to play off of that.

Both of us like a bold-colored shoe–especially at a wedding!–but this is an extra bold move. I don’t think I own anything that’s orange!

The one thing that has been holding me back is whether or not I would actually wear these shoes again. How many chances is a girl going to have to wear a citrusy shoe when she’s more of a water and jewel tone kind of person?

After hunting around a little, I think there actually may be a lot of opportunities. Check out the outfits I came up with:

Brunch

1 Lucky Brand :: 2 Leather Wraps :: 3 Luxury Rebel :: 4 BagyBag

A brunch-y look is probably closest to what I would wear on a normal day. Since I’m not too keen on big doses of orange (I think it totally washes me out), I found basic pieces in neutral colors. This allows the orange to work as a bright little pop of sunshine.

(BTW if you’re loving that striped dress and the whole nautical thing that’s going on in fashion right now, check back tomorrow for a nautical fashion post!)

Work

1 Charter Club :: 2 Anne Klein :: 3 Marc by Marc Jacobs :: 4 RSVP

I thought the work look would be the hardest one to incorporate orange shoes into. It just doesn’t seem like a particularly professional color. But this was surprisingly easy! Just find a patterned blouse that the shoes can play off of and pair them with some great neutrals (a swoon-worthy Marc Jacobs bag always helps) and you’re totally set!

Ladies Night

1 Kensie :: 2 Kande :: 3 Bagatelles and Co. :: 4 Charlotte Russe

This is the look that you can have the most fun with. Think bold patterns and bright color combos (the look I’m showing here is a totally subdued one). There are tons of possibilities, especially during summer when bright colors are everywhere. I’m currently loving the tropical combo of orange and hot pink, which would be great for a night out on the town!

For better or for worse, I think just about everyone knows what it’s like to be dancing on the cusp of your breaking point. Whether it’s a big deal or a small one, it’s not exactly a party, is it?

Lately I find myself dangerously close to a breaking point of my own.

As someone who loathes confrontation (I’m all about peace and love!), I’ve been trying to push it aside or brush it off. But as that delightful old adage goes, it seems to be time to shit or get off the pot.

Since I try to avoid confrontation at all costs, I generally let irritation after irritation go without doing or saying anything to soothe it. I take a “let nature take its course” sort of approach. But like grains of sand working on a rock, what start out as small nuisances slowly morph into something of consequence.

What do you do when you feel yourself nearing a breaking point?

Right now, I feel like all I can do is gather my strength and prepare for battle. You’ll know I’m truly at the edge when I start dressing like a Dothrakian (see photo above) from HBO’s new series Game of Thrones (have you seen it yet? It’s awesome).

Maybe that’s why I find myself so drawn to these amazing pieces that have a bohemian, sort of tribal, almost warrior-like feel to them…

1 White Owl :: 2 Luxury Lanna Crafts
3 BOHOBO collective :: 4 Amanda Davie Wholesale1 Aida Coronado :: 2 DeOrdio Designs :: 3 Cloud 9 Jewels :: 4 Sparklefarm

Game of Thrones photo via The Comics Ninja.

As if the gloominess and bad hair that all this rain is bringing isn’t bad enough, it’s also making me increasingly lazy. I mean, really. Who wants to leave the house when it means getting soaked? Especially when it means wrapping up a newborn and trying to keep her warm and dry while your almost five-year old jumps in every puddle in sight.

But I said I was trying to find the positive in everything, right?

If the rain is going to prevent me from walking off my baby weight in the park, I’ll just have to scrape my ass off the couch and find something fabulous to do inside.

This afternoon I’m thinking yoga. Aside from being awesome in it’s own right, it’s something my daughter can actually do with me (her favorite is the tree pose and she can do it better than most adults). So while I stretch and tone my core, I can be sure she’s not off somewhere getting into trouble. Instead, she’ll be next to me giggling at my form.

What do you do to feel good in bad weather?

1 Old Navy :: 2 Gaiam :: 3 Au Lac Designs :: 4 Gaiam

1 Drishti dress outfit :: 2 Athleta Inhale pant outfit