Cheap Wonder: Forever21 H81 Double Stiched Skinny Jean

Alrighty...so many of you may recall that I am a self-confessed jean snob. Not only do I own waaaay too many pairs of jeans, but also about 80% of them are "designer" jeans (i.e. Rock & Republic, Seven for All Mankind, Joe's, James, True Religion etc.)

So, imagine my suprise when I found an incredible pair of skinny black jeans that look and feel amazing...for less than $25. Boo ya!

Let me introduce you to the Forever21 H81 Double Stitched Skinny Jeans. At $24.90 these little wonders are light weight, have plenty of stretch and to my delight, look more like pants than jeans.

I had these hemmed to ankle length, not to show my lack of cankles, but instead to emulate that Audrey Hepburn vibe. I went with a size 27, as Forever21 clothing usually runs on the small side. They fit quite well, as they have a good amount of stretch in them. I probably could have sized down to 26 considering the stretch, but I prefer to breath comfortably while wearing my pants. I'll try to get a real life photo to share in the coming days...until then...

Any cheap wonders to share?

Currently Craving: Tall, Flat, Suede, Gray Boots

Oh boot love...

I'm been searching for that perfect pair of over-the-knee, flat gray suede boots. After searching this weekend I found quite a few! Below is my polyvore set that unearths my craving. I think these boots would look a-mazing with skinny jeans or over leggings with a cute tunic. I'm really diggin' the Chinese Laundry Turbo boots in Gray Suede. We'll see if they soon make their way into my closet!

What do you think? Any current cravings worth sharing?

Currently Craving: Tall, Flat Gray Boots by Coley's Closet Cravings featuring Chinese Laundry shoes

WTF Friday: AnnaLynne McCord...Again

Oh AnnaLynne...oops you did it again. Although you're not sporting pirate gear this time around, you instead choose the crazed-Barbie look. Now, readers, I like AnnaLynne...I think she's lovely...but her stylist needs to be fired. The Alice and Olivia dress is actually cute, but too short on her, as we don't want a flashing Britney moment circa 2007. The styling screams prom gone wrong...or even one of those "cigar, cigarette" ladies from the 20s.

As for the accessories, I like black and pink. However, I am not diggin' the Little House on the Prairie curls and the menacing choker. WTF AnnaLynne? The dress and the shoes had potential, but with the whole ensemble put together, you look like a hot mess.

Any WTF Fridays to contribute?

Celebrity Style Stalker: Victoria Beckham

Photo via: Xposure

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today's edition features uber-thin Victoria Beckham in a lovely grey sheath dress from her own collection, grey suede platform pumps and a black frame bag.

Below is a quick Polyvore set I conjured up to capture the "essence" of Victoria's ensemble.

What do you think?

Celebrity Style Stalker: Victoria Beckham by Coley's Closet Cravings featuring GAP

And here's a lovely shot of David Beckham's Armani ad to brighten your day...enjoy!

Today: Lauren Merkin at Gilt.com

Lauren Merkin makes beautiful bags. Really beautiful bags with gorgeous leathers, fabrics, etc. Today at Gilt.com a variety of her bags are up for sale, most are at least 50% off, which makes them much more manageable! But hurry, those lovelies don't last long on that site! I purchased the pink, lambskin Cher bag. The bag shown above is the Tatum style.

If you need an invite to join Gilt.com, click here!

Happy shopping!

Product Review: NEW Burt's Bees Natural Acne Solutions Purifying Gel Cleanser, A

Happy Monday, everyone! Up for review today is Burt's Bees Purifying Gel Cleanser from its new Natural Acne Solutions line.

I received this product as part of a Bzz Kit. I'm a Bzz Agent, so I occasionally get to try out new products and spread the "buzz" about them to friends, family, etc. So, on to the review...

The 5 oz. cleanser is offered at many drugstores and department stores for $9.99, not a bad price considering the products are all natural! The cleanser spells nice and fresh and leaves my skin soft and super clean, but not dry - and this alone is pretty impressive. Although you're supposed to avoid your eyes, the cleanser takes off makeup pretty well and it didn't irritate too badly when I got a bit in my eyes. What can I say, I don't take direction well. :)

I have noticed that my skin has been pretty clear for the past three weeks that I've been using this cleanser - so it's definitely scoring high marks in my book. Overall, all natural ingredients, no animal testing and a great finish, earns an A for this product!

Have you tried any products from the new Burt's Bees line?

Real Life Review: Anna Sui for Target

Alright, so I know I'm late to the game to review Anna Sui's Target line that hit stores last weekend, but better lat than never, right?!

First off, most styles are gone online....I should say most of the cute styles are gone online. And it's too bad, because at my local Target the Anna Sui section was decimated to say the least. Second, this line runs small, as in I tried on a dress in a size 1 (I'd likely be a size 3 anyway, size 1 was a stretch) and could only zip it up a few inches. This is especially true across the bust. If you have any boobage, grab the next size or two up. Third, here are a few reviews of the select items that I did see, but did not have my size.

1) Seersucker Dress with Lace

This dress is cute cute cute. And let me say also, Target's pictures are horrible. The materials used in most of Anna Sui's items are of decent quality.

2) Silk Wrap Dress

Another winner here. My only issue with this pretty silk dress is that the material was very light weight, so it would be quite chilly in the fall/winter. Nevertheless, the print is pretty and interesting.

3) Feather Dress

This dress had major potential, but in real life it was a real disappointment. While the fabric is nice, the plastic "feathers" look completely cheap-o and the bottom of the dress looks gigantic. Definitely a pass even if they had my size.

Have you been to Target lately? What do you think of Anna Sui's line?

WTF Friday: Cate Blanchett...or Should We Call Her Cate BLANKET?

Image via: Scott Barbour/Getty

Oh WTF is back with a vengeance. This week's installment features the gorgeous Cate Blanchett in a fuggy fug fug crocheted dress.

Cate Blanchett is stunning, talented and, from the interviews I have read, intelligent. Why, of why, would she choose this horrific dress. WTF, Cate. You're better than that! Up your game, girlfriend, your dress is worse than a Snuggie.

How was your week? Any fun WTF Friday items to contribute?

Not Pretty in Pink, GORGEOUS in Pink!

So many fashion mags are proclaiming that hot pink will be all the rage in the coming seasons. Although too much pink makes me shudder, I adore a bright pop of bright pink to liven up any outfit.

Also, considering next month is Breast Cancer Awareness month, expect to see loads of pink showing up everywhere from department store beauty counters to sporting good stores.

In honor of the vibrant bright pink, I saw this lovely coat, at Old Navy, Wool-Blend Funnel-Neck Coat in Blink Pink. Isn't she pretty! $89.50 is super affordable for a fall/winter jacket, but it seems just a touch expensive for Old Navy. I'm sure I'll be more convinced to purchase when I find a really good coupon code.

If North Carolina was just a little bit colder in the winter, I would snatch this up in a nanosecond!

How would you sport bright pink for fall?

Real Life Review: Michael Antonio Mckey Black Ankle Boots

Hello all! Here are a few pics of my lovely new ankle boots! First off, I will say that these boots look great IRL. Although the leather is not real, the finish is fantastico. They seem relatively comfortable for a 4" heel and 1/2" platform.

If you're interested in scooping up a pair for yourself, know that they run about 1/2 size large. I typically wear a size 8, and a 7.5 fits well. I will say though, my only complaint is that the opening near the ankle is just a bit too large. I can slip the shoes off without unzipping the back. But, I suppose I'd rather have it this way than too tight!

To showcase these lovely ankle boots, I tossed on a no-name black sweater dress, wine DKNY tights and a fairly new, fairly flashy, F21 necklace.

What do you think? Was it a successful bootie call?

Service Please...Pretty Please?

Happy Monday, everyone! This past weekend, it was my husband's and my first wedding anniversary. Yay! I received gorgeous roses and a very sweet card...and we decided to go to dinner on Saturday evening at a very nice restaurant that we have never been to before. So, we researched the menu, got all dolled up and headed out for our 8 p.m. reservation.

Now, I was a waitress and a bartender many years ago and my husband was a bar manager for a few years, so both of us understand the service industry and the importance of tips. I can count on one hand the number of times that I have tipped less than 20%. The first half of dinner went great, the food was fantastic and service was attentive and fairly quick. And then it took a sharp downhill turn to negative town...

We waited over an hour alone to get our dessert and check. ONE HOUR. So, our dinner lasted well over two and a half hours long, with an hour of that cromprising staring at my empty coffee cup longing for my dessert. I understand that the kitchen can get slammed, but this restaurant was NOT busy at 9 p.m. I know, I was there. Our waitress ignored us for the entire hour we were waiting for our dessert, only filling our coffee cups once and citing (lying) that our first dessert was burned, so she asked for another one...when in fact I saw her enter in our dessert only moments before. Listen lady, everyone makes mistakes, so you forgot to type in our desserts, no big deal, but don't lie to me about it. The lying made it one million times worse. I'm sure I was giving her the stink eye.

Clearly I'm ranting, but my point is, service was bad and not once did we receive one apology, one comp, one "I'm sorry for the wait". Nada. And guess what, it happened to us again at dinner at a local tavern tonight. At an EMPTY pub, it took over one hour for our sandwiches to arrive and then another thirty minutes for our waiter to remember to get us the check.

I'm an understanding person in the restaurant world, but I really thought we were getting punked these past two days. In a world where great service is underrated and underpaid, I wonder, where have you received your best service or your worst? This can be retail, restaurant, auto, whatever. For me, Nordstroms always offers the most amazing customer service, for new purchases, returns and information. Same goes for a few local Charlotte restaurants, namely 131 Main and 300 East.

Do tell, where have you received the best or the worst service and why?

Bootie Call!

I've been searching for the perfect black ankle boot for some time now, maybe some day I'll be able to buy myself a pair of Louboutins, but until then I'm going to save my $1,000 and abstain from these gorrrrrrrrgeous Christian Louboutin Leather Ankle Boots...

After quite a bit of searching, I settled on the lovely Michael Antonio Mckey Ankle Boots. I ordered these babies from Endless.com, which offers free overnight shipping and free return shipping on all orders. The Mckey boots are available on Endless and Piperlime for $54-$60 in all types of faux finishes: black suede, purple suede, tan suede, grey suede, black synthetic, black patent leather, etc.

I'm super excited for these to arrive on Monday. I picture wearing these over tights with all sorts of fall and wintery dress or pairing then with skinny jeans.

What do you think? Do you like the bootie call?

WTF Friday...Jessica Szohr

WTF Friday is way too fun to stop...so it will continue! This week's WTF Friday is awarded to Jessica Szohr from Gossip Girl...

Photo via: Sara Jaye Weiss/Startracks

Alright, Jessica...we get it, you have great abs, congratulations, no need to hop on the Zone Diet. I've seen this belly-shirt baring look before...hmmm...when was that....oh yes, it was 1993. Let's keep that look there for a little bit longer, you look a bit like an exotic dancer whose feet were engulfed by a cheetah.

Girlfriend, you are lovely and fit, but please stop dressing like a tranny.

 Have you started seeing more and more female celebs wearing cutoff (babydoll) shirts? I have...WTF.

That is my WTF Friday, what's yours?

45 Lessons of Life

Normally my posts cover fashion, makeup and whatnot, but a friend of mine sent me an email with the following message, and although I've read it before, I thought it would be a great item to post.

#43 definitely applies to me today...even though I'm tired, I dressed up and showed up!

Enjoy!

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more."

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's,we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Product Review: Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick, A

I love a new lipstick...it's an affordable way to brighten my day...and it lasts much longer than the alternative Starbucks latte! Maybelline came out with a new lipstick, Color Sensational, a few months ago, and I have been on the prowl for the perfect orangey-red that looks great with so many fall ensembles. And I found it!

I chose the shade Are You Red-dy and not only is the color sensational, ha, but it wears great. It's not a long-wear lipcolor, but the color is crisp and offers a great consistency. I think I paid $7 or $8 and the packaging is lovely.

Overall, this lippie gets an A for me: great color options, rich, creamy consistency and wears very well for a drugstore lipstick! I'll do my best to post a real life photo later this week. If you have time to kill, Maybelline also has a fun website that helps you choose your Color Sensational shade!

What is your favorite affordable pick me up?

Have you tried Maybelline's Color Sensational?

Back From the Mountains...Checking Out Bluefly.com

Although I thoroughly enjoyed my long weekend, complete with tons of food, a very long hike through the mountains and one successful trip to the emergency room, I'm quite happy to be back home and near an Internet connection. I'm sure I won't be so satisfied at work tomorrow....

I know there were tons of sales going on this weekend, but I took a quick visual jaunt to Bluefly.com and they have some FABULOUS items for sale, with an additional 25% off through this evening. Here are a few standouts...

Bluefly Labor Day Sale by Coley's Closet Cravings featuring Generra

What did YOU do this weekend? Any fun purchases?

What the F Friday

Oh happy Friday! I love me some Friday.

In honor of my love for Friday I would like to institute What the F Friday. Although this is a fashion blog, feel free to add in your own WTF from this week, but please keep it PG-13.

Here's my WTF Friday...AnnaLynne McCord...WTF girlfriend. She looks like she stepped straight out of the fourth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean or jumped ship at Treasure Island in Las Vegas. AnnaLynne...stop thiefing Johnny Depp's wardrobe.

She is a gorgeous girl, but this ensemble is fug.

Image via: Kevan Brooks/AdMedia

And...just for good measure...I pretty much said WTF when I saw this at Anthropologie a few days ago. Don't get me wrong, I lurve Anthro, but this sweater is not cute and to boot, is super confusing. Are you a cozy cardigan? A mangled quilt? Or a relic from the movie Almost Famous? Yowza. And for $198, WTF Anthro? You know if it looks bad on the model, it's really unfortunate.

Please share your WTF moments from the week!

Have a great Labor Day weekend - happy shopping!

Celebrity Stye Stalker: Jessica Simpson

Image via: Scott A/Matingas/Bauer-Griffin

Happy Wednesday! Today's Celebrity Style Stalker features Jessica Simpson in a gorgeous navy satin/sateen trench coat.

A satin or sateen trench coat adds major polish to almost every outfit, from a tee and jeans to a cocktail dress. Here are a few satin and sateen trench coats, each under $150! I particularly like the navy option in the upper left corner.

Would you wear a satin or sateen trench? If so, what would you pair it with?

Satin Trenches by Coley's Closet Cravings featuring Tahari