Sweet and Simple (but mostly, affordable).

Last weekend I decided to do a little 'me' shopping for a few classic items I have been needing because it has been quite awhile since I treated myself to anything. So on Saturday after I got off work I made my way over to one of my favorite new/used/recycled clothing stores in Downtown Berkeley: Crossroads Trading Co. It wasn't long before I spotted the perfect pair of ' Farlow' skinny fit jeans. I didn't even have to sift through the boundless racks of pants to find them. It was like they were waiting for me, and when they saw me they practically shouted my name. (I almost didn't try them on.. but better safe than sorry.. and sorry I wasn't!)

I also found an adorable knit Ben Sherman blouse that screamed vintage. However at my dismay I noticed a pretty decent sized hole in the very center of the blouse. Being the frugal and determined shopper that I am, I decided to bargain with one of the employees, and to my satisfaction she gave me a discount. Good thing my mom brought me all of my sewing supplies from home when she was visiting over the holidays, because that annoying little flaw is now non-existent.

My last purchase is by far my favorite. Why? One word: shoes. And what fashion-loving girl doesn't adore a pretty pair of shoes? To add the cherry on top of a delicious cake, these shoes are a replacement for my favorite pair of t-strap flats that broke over the summer (I loved the shoes so much I taped them together because I simply could not part with them). But lo and behold, I found my new and improved version, in all of their bronze, faux snakeskin glory.

The best part of this little excursion? All three items came out to cost me just under thirty dollars. Jeans: 7 bucks (they were half off!). Shirt: 10 bucks. Shoes: 12 bucks. And for a poor little fashion loving girl like myself, I left that store feeling on top of the world.

These purchases may seem to have more of a springy feel than a wintery one, but when it's 70 degrees and the sky is a royal blue in the middle of January, it isn't hard to pretend that it's already time to set your clocks forward and play in the sun.