Rhinestone Vine Ear Cuff (via @Forever21)

Lately I've been loving the ear cuff trend and wanted to share an amazing pair I snagged earlier in the week from Forever21. The rhinestone vine ear cuff retails for $4.90 (a steal!) and is a great way to make an outfit pop. During the day I noticed a slight bit of discomfort at the top of my ear and realized I had attached the cuff too tight and in a sensitive spot. After a few tweaks I was fine, so it's not a real reason to not purchase.

Rhinestone Floral Halter Dress (via @forever21)

 A few weeks ago I was in Chicago for a wedding and had a last minute wardrobe snafu. I had originally ordered 3 dresses from Rent the Runway, but it was just my luck that none of the dresses worked out. I didn't have enough time to send them back and get a replacement, so I headed over to F21 to see what I could find. I wanted to look nice and knew I could snag something decent last minute.

The floral top, rhinestone choker/collar, and body con skirt of the dress definitely caught my eye. I ended up going with a Large and thought the fit was pretty nice. The only downside to rocking this dress for an out of state wedding was being limited in my bra selection. It was definitely my own fault for not doing a test run around the house and seeing which bra worked best... but whatever... I tried my best to make it work.

Halfway through the wedding I had to find some safety pins and try doing cleavage damage control, along with fixing a few of the straps... dumb stuff that comes along with purchasing from F21.

All in all, the dress was $32.90 and got the job done. I liked it a lot and am going to take it to the cleaners and get the stitching fixed. I'll also take the time to figure out the right bra to wear with it for next time. If you're looking for a cute, affordable dress to rock to a wedding I'd definitely suggest it.

Review: Forever21 Strapless Floral Skort Dress

Full disclosure: I still shop at Forever21. I'll be 30 next month, and at least twice a month I head into the retail chain and look for cheap, yet fashionable finds. Last week I snagged the cutest skort romper. Yes, you read that correctly... skort. Everything that was hot in the 90s is making a come back and skorts are no different.

I don't usually write reviews on F21's site, but after buying this romper and wearing it out for a recent date night, I absolutely HAD to share with everyone how amazing this dress/skort/romper is.

Most readers know I'm 5'2" and rather petite, but curvy. My official measurements are 34DDD-31-41.5, so it can be hard to find something that fits and is flattering. I bought a size Large and it fits perfectly!!! The added material that drapes over the romper, which makes it a skort, is lovely. The fit is comfortable, while the length is a bit short, but tasteful since this is a skort set. I truly wish they made this in other colors because I would buy one of each.

It's always difficult to find something that flatters my shape, but F21 nailed it with this. It's very cute in person. If I would've only seen it online I may have passed, but seeing it in store was great.

If you're short and busty, give this skort a try. You'll be pleased.The romper is a steal at $22.80 and can be purchased here.

"Rock Forever21 but just turned 30..."

Wednesday, September 11: Share links to your favorite online shops, preferably with a few photos of your favorite items in each shop. (Yes... I'm still playing catch-up with #Blogtember)

Oh, shopping... one of my favorite things to do alone. I could spend hours on end walking through stores or browsing online. My favorite place to look is Forever21. Yes, I'm 29 and still shopping at Forever21. As my bff said, "they have what I want within my budget so fuck it..." #WiseWords

Below is my latest find... a Tribal Print t-shirt dress. This is pretty much my favorite go-to dress style. You can find me in Tribal Print anything OR rocking black like my survival depends on it. Black is my favorite color... and to those people that think it's not a color... yes, black is a color you freak. Anything black, gold, or tribal print makes my life force thrive.

Also, random sidebar... the sandals I'm rocking in the below pic were originally purchased back in March at Forever21 for $26.80 - - hands down the best fashion purchase I made this year. I've rocked these shoes NON STOP and they've held up so well. I wish I bought 2 pairs in black and another in tan. Hmmm... maybe I should start looking online? Is the thirst too real? lol...

Tribal Print T-Shirt Dress - $17.80 (Forever21)

Fashion Fix: @Forever21 Cutout Geo Dress

The temps are warming up and my legs are ready to start frolicking in skirts and dresses! I headed to Forever21 today to see if they had any new stuff, and I was pretty happy to snag this Cutout Geo Dress for $24.80.

My life force does a little dance whenever I snag something cute from Forever21, and this dress is MUCH better in person. The site does the fit no justice. My rack is a DDD/G cup (depends on my weight) and a size Large fit just fine. I'm not stingy with deals, so I wanted to share this with my blog family - - plus keeping it 100 everyone in the world shops at Forever21, so it's not like you're buying something unique lol.

Anyways, Happy Spring and Happy Shopping! Time to clean those closets out and get new gear in there.

Fashion Fix: Gold Ankle Strap Sandals

Every once in a while Forever21 blesses my fashion life force with a little gem, and yesterday was one of those times. While browsing I snagged these Gold Strap Sandals, the perfect addition to my spring/summer fashion life force... and at $26.80 you can't beat the price.

The quality is also pretty good, which can sometimes be hit or miss with F21 shoes. The gold detail is pretty solid, and the back also features a gold zipper. The construction is on point and I think they'll easily hold up all season. If you're up to splurge a few more bucks, the pricier BCBG alternative might tickle your fancy.

Forever21 Gold Strap Sandal - $26.80

BCBG Gold Strap Sandal - $69.95

Everyone knows that my inner Persian excites whenever I see some Gold, so these sandals are the perfect go-to shoe for me. I think I might go back and pick up the nude as well. You seriously can't go wrong with gold accents.

Have you started getting your spring/summer wardrobe in order?

Ombre Bodycon Dress: @EKINEYO vs @Forever21

I've been completely obsessed with the ombre bodycon dress made by Ekineyo for quite some time now, but the $188 price tag kept me at bay. Imagine my shock when I saw Forever21's version of the popular dress on their site for $15.50!! Yes, Forever21 comes through for the win once again. I'm all about supporting up and coming designers, but it's hard to break the bank for something so trendy when retailers like F21 and Zara crank out decent versions for a fraction of the cost. So, let it be known that while I love Ekineyo's version, I'll be rocking the F21 version. I can put that $172.50 I'll save towards my vacation fund!

What do you think of the dress? Will Ekineyo get your $188 or will you opt for Forver21's $15.50 version?

Ekineyo Lotus Dress - $188

Forever 21 Ombre Bodycon Dress - $15.50

10% off for Military @ Forever21

I'm still on vacation and prepping for an AMAZEBALLS night out with friends later on today... but I wanted to share with all of my fellow military spouses (and military personnel) that Forever21 will be offering 10% off all purchases in-store 7/1 thru 7/4! I love a sale and 10% off is quite nice. Take advantage of this deal.

Grand Opening: Forever21 @ Columbiana Centre

Forever21 will finally be opening their doors tomorrow - Saturday, May 21st @ 10AM!!!

The store is the first for the midlands (located at the Columbiana Centre) and will feature the WNOK street team, in-store DJ from 10a-6p, along with 10% off all purchases over $40 for the entire day. They'll also be giving the first 200 people in line gift cards valued up to $210 - - and we all know you can buy a new wardrobe with $210 at their store.

I've been desperately yearning to get my Forever21 fix since moving to SC and am hoping I can make it out for this grand opening. Now, if they could just add an H&M and Nordstrom Rack I'd be in heaven lol.

Will you make it out for this event?

Forever21 comes to Columbia!

It may seem trivial or even borderline crazy, but I was starting to go through a serious case of Forever21 withdrawl. Just as I was beginning to write my blog about how depressed I was that there were no Forever21's in the entire state of South Carolina, God saw fit to shine a ray of hope down from the heavens. The local mall is scheduled to open the state's 1st Forever21 next year and I'll be the first person in line when it opens. It's still crazy to me that I live somewhere that doesn't have a Forever21, H&M, Sephora or IKEA... but in the next few months a permanent smile will be on my face!

Fashion Fix: J Brand for the Cheap!

<------ I've been lusting over these J Brand 'Houlihan' Skinny Cargo pants for the past few months.However, the whopping cost of $231 was not going to fly with my budget. I was thrilled to find an affordable and equally fab version of the pants at Forever21 this weekend.

They're brand new to the store and not yet available online, but their skinny cargo pants will only cost you $24.80 ---->

You can't beat that price and having compared both jeans, the Forever21 version isn't too shabby. They're 97% cotton, 3% spandex and feel soft to the touch - - just like the J Brand version. I tried them on and the fit is pretty good too. I'm 5'2" and they hit right at my ankle... plus the zipper detail on the bottom is nice. Not to mention that I love the amount of stretch.

<---- you can get a better look at pocket and leg detail.... These pants are a must have as we transition from the summer to the fall.

Fashion Fix: Maternity Style

Forever21 has slowly but surely become a staple in every girl's wardrobe. From bangles to shoes, to undies and dresses the store has it all. Last year they introduced their Faith21 line of plus size clothes as well as expanded their male line. Guess what? For all the mommies-to-be out there they haven't forgotten about you either. They just launched Love21 Maternity, which features hot looks for those sporting a baby bump. Right now this line is only available at select stores in California, Arizona, Utah and Texas... but stay posted to the site for details as they'll be branching out to more stores this fall.

Check out a sneak peek from their look book below.

21 Forever?

I've written previous blogs about women of a certain age prancing around Forever21 like it's the cat's meow... well, consider my mother one of those women! The horror, the horror.

My mother called me while I was out of town asking about stores called "Urban Chic" and "21 Forever". I told her those stores didn't exist, that there was an Urban Outfitters and Forever 21 but they weren't for her demographic (she's 55). I further explained to her that she couldn't even get the names right (yet another reason she had no business going in there) and refused to give her directions to them. Well, the woman was determined because upon my arrival back to AZ she proceeded to show me what she got at "21 Forever" o_O.... some bracelets and this top - - the same damn top that I have!!! Let me say that it was definitely a conservative top, something I would've worn as a dress... but still, the world is coming to an end when MY mother likes Forever 21.

*le sigh*

She was thrilled with all the cheap jewelry and couldn't wait to go back and see what other tops they had.

Now I must say that my mom just lost like 30+ lbs so she's excited to fit into clothes she hasn't worn in a while. She said that "Urban Chic" (urban outfitters) wasn't her speed but she would be going back to Forever21. I can't say I'm thrilled about this... Hell, I feel torn that I still shop there... but it is what it is.

Clothing Intervention

"Are you familiar with our return policy"

This has been rattled off so many times at the counters of Forever21 that I barely hear it anymore. However, as someone that shops there more than I'd like to admit, their return policy is emblazoned in my mind - - pretty much keep the tags on stuff until you wear it because w/o that little price tag and a receipt (and w/in 21 days) you're screwed.

Last week while at the store I witnessed a group of older women ( picture stylish grandmothers in their late 60's) having issues at the counter trying to make a return. The ladies pleading that they had "just bought the jewelery yesterday" but were told that all jewelry sales were final... and that w/o a price tag or receipt they wouldn't be able to even exchange it. I let out a soft chuckle because these ladies were obviously out of their element. They had wandered far away from the cushy comforts of Neiman Marcus and Saks and made their way to the land of teenage and 20-something clothing stores.

The next day I read an article in the RedEye by Jason Steele about dressing your age. This made me start wondering about the 60 yo grandmothers in Forever21. Did they get the memo that they shouldn't be shopping there. I mean, I'm 25 right now and sometimes I feel on the fence about going in there... but will someone tap me on the shoulder when the time comes to let go of that store? I don't want to be confused by ridiculous return policies, immature and impatient sales people and those obnoxiously bright yellow bags. The majority of my friends are the same age so realistically we should all kick the habit at the same time, but who knows.

Any thoughts on when it's time to let go of stores like Forever21?