Spring Style Haul: Big Apple Fashion!

Exciting funtimes update! Mama and I went on a trip to NYC this weekend as a belated birthday gift; she signed us both up for a "Great American Steakhouse" class at the Institute of Culinary Education, and we cooked us some serious filet and strip. While not toiling away over hot industrial-sized stoves, we went and wondered the streets of Soho, checking out the seven and a half million stores around our hotel. Of course, we came away with quite the pile each!

First of all, I had never heard of the store Necessity Clothes before, but it shows up in New York more frequently than Starbucks or McDonald's-so you KNOW that's a lot! You can barely take a step without inadvertently walking into one, so naturally we spent quite a while there. There was a wall of insane digital print skirts, and this one literally grabbed my attention by yelling "BANG!" I already have leggings in comic book style, but this will be easier to rock in a springtime environment. Plus, neon is still so huge that it will fit right in!

I also decided to take in a science fictiooon...double featuuure! Rocky Horror has been such a huge part of my college universe (annual showings with full costume and participation!) that I couldn't pass up on this crop top. It'll coordinate well with my red skinny jeans or black miniskirt once things get less blah outdoors.

Next up, H&M, with two dresses purchased. I'm still on the prowl for emerald items, so a plain green dress will be a great blank canvass to play with tights, shoes, cardigans and whatnot. Plus, the elastic in the waist eliminates the need to cinch with a belt!

Birdies!! I find it physically impossible to keep my hands off anything that involve these cute little guys, so this dress was a must-have. Any dress that comes with a bonus skinny black belt gets additional bonus points in my book.

I had heard talk frequently of TopShop online, but had never actually been in one until now. Now I know why; the prices almost made my feeble cheapskate heart give out! But there was a silver lining in the form of the accessories department; your socks-and-tights drawer is never full enough. More birds flew into my bag with these blue ankle socks and peach tights, and the black gingham ruffle bobby socks will be so great peeking out from my Chucks!

Last stop was Sephora, who never lets me down for groovy new manicure supplies. This boxed set feeds off the matte beauty craze of late with the supplies for DIY chalkboard nails! You just brush on the black base coat, wait for it to dry a tad, then use the pens to doodle whatever decorations pop into your head. If you goof (inevitable for me), you can wipe it off and start over. Then just brush over the matte topcoat and voila! Will absolutely be giving this a whirl for one of my upcoming nail salon trips.