Mint Julep Boutique giveaway!

The time for bundling up has come, we were graced with our first snow (sort of), and piling on the cozy layers is the only way to go.

I'm very excited about my newest layer, a quilted herringbone print vest from The Mint Julep Boutique. On trend, on price at $62, and oh-so-warm, the vest is the perfect fall piece. You can imagine how pleased I was to have coordinating exposed gold zippers on the bag, the boots AND the vest. It's the little things, right?

Plus, there is a little something for you too - The Mint Julep Boutique is offering one Chic on the Cheap reader a $25 gift card to their shop! The idea behind The Mint Julep Boutique is simple, but perfect - bring cute, trendy, boutique style items to be easily accessed by everyone through the internet, and make them super affordable too - nary an item is priced over $100. The women behind the shop also want to make sure their customers are getting exactly what they want by offering a section of items they haven't yet brought to the shop and letting everyone vote for their favorites, as well as doing their best to restock well loved items that just sold out too fast.

Be sure and pay them a visit at their online shop and on instagram, then head down to the Rafflecopter and get your entires in!

The Rundown
White Shirt J.Crew thrifted
Black Wool Cardigan Gap
Herringbone Vest "Whatever You Like Vest" c/o Mint Julep Boutique
Black Cropped Pants Gap
Boots Migliorini via TJMaxx buy on ebay similar
Huntley Tote c/o Joie
Pave Hexagon Earrings Thrifted similar
Watch "Classic Sheffield" c/o Daniel Wellington
Gold Framed Monogram Ring c/o Onecklace
Antler Ring House of Harlow
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx
Nail Color "Nirvana" Sinful Colors

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Black Friday in Pajamas

Waking up before the sunrise, queueing up in the freezing cold, battling crowds, circling parking lots endlessly, searching for a space... none of these things describe how I'd like to spend the day after Thanksgiving.

Sleeping in, queueing up movies on a cozy couch, battling for leftover slices of pie, circling things I love in magazines, dreaming of Christmas surprises... is my kind of Black Friday.

Thankfully this age of the internet has made the dream of shopping without leaving the house a beautiful reality, and I'm excited for all the sales! It's a given that most stores will be offering 30% to 50% off their entire inventory, often coupled with free shipping - the only downside to the whole event is that it might be hard to stay focused on buying gifts for others and not for myself!

Though I suppose a tiny bit of shopping for myself couldn't do any harm, and here a few things that I'll be checking on to see if some fabulous Black Friday deals present themselves - though most of theses retailers are ALREADY offering some compelling sales!

Robyn Leather Ankle Boots, $85 when you take an additional half off clearance at Ann Taylor

Plaid Flannel Cammi and Boxers, $12 and $15 when you take 40% off your purchase, plus free shipping at Aerie

Majesty Pea Coat, $244 when you take 30% off your purchase at J.Crew

Peacock Lane Clutch, $99 at Kate Spade on their special sale page

Haircalf iPhone Gloves, $63 when you take 30% off your purchase at Banana Republic

Emerald, Opal & Diamond Ring by Loren Stewart, $295 at Barneys

Cheers Collector Tee, $18 at J.Crew Factory (entire site is half off)

Fall uniform

My new workplace is super casual, and while I know there is nothing stopping my from throwing on my pencil skirts and heels like I've always done, lately I've been feeling more comfortable in jeans and button downs.

Often I will throw on a blazer and heels, but when it's really cold out, boots and a sweater tend to win out. At least it's not a bad look to have on repeat.

The Rundown
Chambray Shirt Tommy Hilfiger via TJMaxx similar
Leopard Sweater Calvin Klein via TJMaxx similar
Jeans "Lola" Lucky Brand
Red Pea Coat Nine West via TJMaxx similar$$, similar$
Boots Crown Vintage via DSW similar
Bag Linea Pelle "Astor" c/o Linger Rose
Watch "Classic Sheffield" c/o Daniel Wellington Get 15% off with code holiday_chichlyddie
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Sweet Olive Jewelry
Nail Color "Nirvana" Sinful Colors

Hours in the day

I'm not the kind of person who craves a jam packed schedule, who can get up early, go to bed late, and power through it all on caffeine and adrenaline. A weekend with a single plan is my ideal, however that doesn't always happen, especially this time of year, when there are more events than days in the month.

I had a very busy weekend, kicked off on Thursday night with a shopping event at South Moon Under, then I was up early on Saturday morning for a TJMaxx pre-Black Friday shopping event that started at 7:30 am. Sunday I had a blogger date with Meg, we went to breakfast and then outlet shopping to try and start chipping away at the holiday gift list.

Keeping me on schedule throughout my busy weekend, I had on a lovely timepiece which Daniel Wellington just sent over. The Classic Sheffield Lady in rose gold is simple, elegant, and well, classic. I love wearing a watch, a quick glance at my wrist feels so much more sophisticated than fishing through my purse to find my phone to simply check the time.

While I love so many of Daniel Wellington's preppier watch bands, like the navy and white Glasgow, I can't deny the versatility of the black leather, and I expect it will find a place on my wrist for many years to come.

You can get Get 15% off your purchase at Daniel Wellington with code holiday_chichlyddie through December 31st, 2014.

The Rundown
Striped Sequin Tee The Limited similar
Distressed Boyfriend Jeans Old Navy similar
Black Leather Moto Jacket Express similar
Pumps "Gennie" Coach thrifted similar
Bag Linea Pelle "Astor" c/o Linger Rose
Watch "Classic Sheffield" c/o Daniel Wellington
Gold Bracelets The Cavernous Jewelry Box
Bar Rings c/o Kohl's
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Sweet Olive Jewelry
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx
Nail Color "Nirvana" Sinful Colors

Linking up with Pink Sole's How I Fall

and

Monday Mingle

Thank you to Daniel Wellington, for sponsoring this post.

Kiss InstaWave

I was recently given the opportunity through BrandBacker to try out the Kiss InstaWave curling iron. What makes the InstaWave special is that the ceramic ionic barrel revolves in both directions, grabbing your hair and curling it all on it's own.

For us heat styling tool challenge people, this iron is easy to use, doesn't hurt your wrists, or leave a little chunk of hair bent the wrong way at the end.

The learning curve wasn't too large, after a few tries I had it down, and the process is pretty quick. I just sectioned off my hair like normal and worked from back to front, to make sure I didn't miss any pieces.

At no point did the InstaWave get tangled in my hair (obviously my biggest concern) and it does automatically turn off after 90 minutes. (Anyone who's ever had those 'Did I forget to turn off the ____?' moments will appreciate that.)

My one issue with the InstaWave is that it emits a high-pitched noise when it's plugged it, that gets louder when you turn it on. I find this to be very bothersome, and contacted Kiss about it. They assured me it's not a safety issue, however, considering how close this tool is held to my ears, I do consider it a significant problem. Maybe I just have overly sensitive ears, but they are hurting from the noise.

Overall, I love the curls I was able to achieve and the ease of the product. You can purchase it for $59.99 at Target, Ulta and Amazon.

You can also watch a little video of it in action.

This opportunity was provided to me by BrandBacker.

P.S. I have nothing to wear

Leaves fall, temperatures fall, and suddenly the 90% of my closet that isn't denim seems completely unwearable. Literally overnight, mother nature made the switch from fall into winter, leaving me standing in front of my closet feeling baffled.

Tights. The key to transitioning into winter, and thankfully my recent package from Kushyfoot contained a brand new pair of both their shaping tights and their fleece lined trouser socks. I'm also a really big fan of their fleece lined tights, anything to take the edge of the biting cold helps.

Along with tights another one of my essentials is a short slip. I get the worst static cling ever and I'm not convinced any dryer sheet, coat hanger, or safety pin trick works. A very comfortable and inexpensive slip does the job perfectly and I wont say no to any extra layer either.

The Rundown
Leopard Dress c/o Wallis
Knit Moto Jacket c/o Maurices similar
Boots Migliorini via TJMaxx buy on ebay similar
Bag Linea Pelle "Astor" c/o Linger Rose
Tights c/o Kushyfoot
Gold Bracelet The Cavernous Jewelry Box
Naomi Druzy Ring c/o Kendra Scott
Bar Rings c/o Kohl's
Nail Color "Go Overboard" Essie

Linking up with Mix and Match Fashion's What I wore to "work"

and

Penniless Socialite's Look What I Got

and

Happiness At Midlife's Throwback Thursday (last time I wore this jacket)

Thanks to Lipton Publicity and Kushyfoot for providing the tights featured in this post.

Just a little madness

Everything plaid just screams fall. I feel like to took me too long to finally pull this blazer out of the closet - these jeans too! It's been months since I've worn either piece, and while we are digging out neglected pieces, this sequined clutch is far too under utilized.

It isn't too often I want to forego practicality and carry a clutch during the day, however with the holiday season gearing up and my desire to add just a bit more sparkle to the look, I elected to use the sequined clutch.

Structurally speaking, this clutch is amazing. It's got zippered compartments, interior pockets, exterior pockets, magnetic closures... If only it had a detachable strap, we'd be golden.

Have you entered to win a $400 Gift Card to Nordstrom yet?

The Rundown
Black Silk Shirt Joe Fresh for JCP similar
Plaid Blazer C.Wonder via TJMaxx similar, similar
Jeans J Brand thrifted similar

Studded Booties Guess via TJMaxx similar
Sequined Clutch Halston similar
Starburst Necklace c/o Kohl's
Gold Framed Monogram Ring c/o Onecklace
Gold Herkimer Diamond Ring c/o Lumo
Gold Open Ring c/o Lumo
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx
Nail Color "Go Overboard" Essie

Soft place to land

Mind over matter. That is what I think when I reach for my favorite heels. Sure, things are great at first - I look cute, I feel sexy, strangers pay my adorable heels compliments. Everything is just perfect. For a few hours, anyway. Then I start walking slower, and standing leaves me fidgeting, shifting my weight from foot to foot for a momentary respite.

I know my heels and I know what I'm getting into. I try to plan accordingly, which to wear when I'm going for a marathon shopping day, which to wear when it's a car to restaurant kind of evening.

Though I can't plan for everything, and that's why I think Kushyfoot's Flats to Go are a clever backup plan. Foldable and compact, these shoes come to my rescue when my feet can no longer carry on in heels. I'm keeping them alongside the other emergency items in my car, and throwing them in my purse when I'm anticipating needing them.

The only draw back to the Flats to Go is that the soles are very thin and intended to be mostly worn indoors or outside on flat surfaces. However, at only $10 a pair, if they got destroyed, but saved my feet from a long walk home in heels, it would be worth it.

Have you entered to win a $400 Gift Card to Nordstrom yet?

The Rundown
Grey Tee Gap similar
Fur Vest American Eagle via TJMaxx similar
Black Coated Jeans Joe's via TJMaxx
Heels "Reverse" Charles by Charles David via DSW
Flats to Go c/o Kushyfoot

Bag "Alexa" Danielle Nicole c/o Linger Rose

Necklace "Greer V" Gorjana via Rocksbox

Mini Punk Princess Bracelet CC Skye c/o Linger Rose
Gold Bracelet The Cavernous Jewelry Box
Gold Twisted Bracelet The Cavernous Jewerly Box similar
Snake Ring Brilliant Imports
Pearl and Rhinestone Ring Forever 21

Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx

Nail Color "Go Overboard" Essie

Thank you to Lipton Publicity for providing Kushyfoot Flats to Go.