Cheap Thrills and Spills

I haven't stepped foot in a mall for quite a while. The last time I did, I was proud of myself for not buying anything. All good streaks must come to an end. I did quite a bit of shopping this week.

This weekend I had to go to the mall at the behest of someone else. Since I had done a lot of driving that day, I figured I may as well wander around a bit as a break. I ended up picking up a couple of cheapies from adjacent stores. Not being one to leave things on hangers in the closet for months, I wore my new finds as soon as I could.

I think this is the prettiest of my purchases. Usually I'm not into empire-waist tops since they have the tendency to make one appear to be in the family way, but I found clothes from Papaya tailored to a more petite audience. I've been looking for something in mustard yellow for a long time, and I finally found something I like for $7. Sure, mustard yellow is so Fall '06, but you all know that I'm not a law-abiding citizen when it comes to fashion. To make it more seasonally-appropriate, I donned white pants and espadrilles (which, by the way, are still going strong after a good 3+ years of wear).

The fluttery sleeves are great, but what I really like are the contrasting lace trim and cute buttons:

The color happens to match one of my newest creations, so I wore it for my "photo shoot." Despite its practicality for business purposes, I doubt this top will garner a tax write-off.

Next: another top from Papaya, this time a $5 striped short-sleeved sweater. No, I do not have an addiction to yellow. I can stop wearing yellow whenever I please. Really.

I've been looking for a yellow and gray combo for a while because it just appeals to me. Now I finally have it. As you can see, I haven't gotten sick of the lapel pin/big button combo yet. This time it's a different combo of buttons:

Lindsay Lohan turned rehab into an accessory (in the form of the 90 Days button). Conversely (or similarly, if you are a cynic), I unbashedly aired my footwear dependency issues. That's right, I have no shame. My saucy lips lapel pin says it all.

Finally, another $5 Papaya top:

I love this cute little tank--it has pleats and buttons in the right places. The nautical stripe is a perennial Spring favorite. Skinny pants are also fitting of the times, notwithstanding the fact that my pair is more than a decade old. I'm dangerously close to looking hip and trendy. Of course I had to ruin it all and break the rules of fashion by pairing black with blue. Oh, the horrors! [Ed.: I stand corrected. What was once a colorific sin is now a hot combo.] But seriously, I think it's so much better this way than going with a purely red, white, and blue scheme.

My last purchase from the weekend hails from Charlotte Russe. It's so outlandish that it deserves its own post. Believe me, it's good. Come back in a few days and you'll be rewarded.