tuesday: stuff under twenty

I consider these my find of the weekend. How perfect!
$20 (free shipping worldwide) at beautyspot

Faux fur cowl with long faux-feathery bits. I think if you're going to go faux fur, you should go a little crazy with it!
$19.49 (35% off!) at spotted moth

Pretty set of 10 3-D butterflies with sticky backs to instantly accessorize a room. I was worried that these would fall apart quickly, but I read through the comments and they seem to be very positive about durability. I like these as an alternative to the decal trend. A little smaller but with a bit more pop.
$19 at hip and clavicle

All-natural hand-made soaps filled with all kinds of goodness. You can also pick them up for $6 a pop at the Rocky Top Soap Shop. Isn't that a fun jingle? Check out the shaving soaps and shampoo bars too! You'll be as clean as a cow can say moo! (I should stick to graduate school.)
$18 at RockyTopSoapShop

thursday: steal under twenty

This is like the epitome of understated statement jewelry. Just a ring, so it's not like STATEMENT, a muted pinkish-white on the little beads, but paired with shimmery imperfect gold buddies, and an adjustable stretch band. It looks good in what appears to be a bowl of oats in an industrial bowl on a burlap sack, so seriously, seriously, seriously there is no flipping way it could not look good on a human hand.
$6 (originally $28) at Spool No. 72

wednesday: shop under twenty

I chanced upon Jem Apparel via Madeline's blog Uber Chic for Cheap (check it out, it's cute!). There are not actually that many products under twenty there, but the clean look and tasteful style caught my eye. It has a little bit of a toned-down Modcloth feel in its dresses and a Loft vibe in its tops. The feel is more timeless than trendy, although it definitely has a slightly retro twist that, funnily enough, is very now. I really like the website, although I think it could be kicked up a 100% with a front-and-center and elaborated "about us" or "our story" page. I'm such a sucker for those, and I can't help but think there must be some kind of story here. I'd love to know where the clothes are manufactured, who her inspirations are, and some outfit ideas. Big props for the "hidden jems" page.

I think I picked through all the below $20 stuff and found these "jems". If you're willing to go to a slightly higher price point, there are absolutely gorgeous dresses and a few classic coats.

I rarely see this beautiful smoky blue-gray in affordable jewelry.
$15

To prettify a plain winter coat in nothing flat.
$14.99

This is the year that I meant to buy an infinity scarf, except I live in a place where "winter" is two weeks of rain, so maybe you should buy this instead of me.
$15

Ruffles without being ruffle-y, you know? I would layer with buttoned cardigan so just a few petals show!
$18

Looking forward to seeing more come out of Jem Apparel, especially if it's below that magic twenty-dollar mark.

tuesday: art under twenty

It's a whale of a tail!

$15 at falldowntree

Dreamy sketch of a church in Prague. I like the connect-the-dots feel.
$20 at architectsketch

Pretty and bold.
$20 at Karen Faulkner Art

What a great print for an entryway.
$18 at farouche

So it's post-Valentine's Day. That just makes it extra special.
$20 at LoveSugar

monday: stuff under twenty

I always wonder when things are below $20 on J.Crew because they can usually sell at a higher price point. So it's possible that something is weird about it, and be warned it is final sale, but it might be worth a buy at this price. There's a good range of sizes left, and the colors and great, and I'm always surprised how difficult it is to find long-sleeved shirts with some cute but not overpowering detail. There are a million tanks out there with sequins and ruffles and stripes and cowls, but long-sleeved shirts are either plain or have some HUGE BOW or equally hideous and/or difficult-to-pull-off accessory.

$19.99 at J.Crew

Cute, and CHEAP. Worth taking a plunge on if you're not sure the maxi dress is for you.
$10.95 at Papaya

Check out these absolutely stunning earrings. The details on the pattern and the colors are exquisite and it's a classy upstyling of a hippie earring.
$19 at trulysarah

thursday: steal under twenty

Love the cut of this casual skirt with the little bit of pleating under the waistband. This is the perfect chance to try out some belting for the belt-shy out there! (It will look great belt-less, too, because of the banded top, but give a belt a shot!) Tons of sizes left in this absolutely beautiful coral color. I would pair it with anything from a white button-down (+tights +pumps) to a graphic T (+cardigan +slip-on sneaks). Gets great reviews, too.

$20 (originally $68) at Boden

wednesday: stuff under twenty

So what the heck is a paperwallet? It's actually pretty darn awesome. It's a super thin, super lightweight, expandable wallet made of Tyvek. Basically the updated 2011 version of the duct tape wallet. The basic ones, in every color of the rainbow, are $14.99 (free shipping!!) but I'm kind of partial to the $19.99 designer ones, like the rainbow check above. It has a cash compartment and 2 credit card slots. A nice alternative to other slim wallets made of hard plastic!

$19.99 at Paperwallet

I have this totally weird thing for short-sleeve sweatshirt hoodies. I don't own any; I just gaze at them longingly, and this one fits the bill. This picture is actually not the most flattering. It actually has gracefully elegant (yeah, I can't believe I'm going there on Wet Seal merchandise either) sleeves and cute little off-shoulder epaulets. And comes in a pastel pink too!
$19.50 at Wet Seal

So this striped long-sleeve tee is not left in too many sizes, but there are XXS, XS, S, and M left in varying colors. I like the details like the high cuff and the gradient.
$14.95 at AE

Who's sick of ruffles? Not I, said the walrus! If you're sick of ruffles, maybe I can sell you on rosette ruffles?
$19.99 (originally $34) at Macy's

And rounding out the morning, a perfect, perfectly affordable, casual spring/summer shoe!
$18 at Urban Outfitters

tuesday: art under twenty

Absolutely perfect kitchen print and it comes matted for you! Click on to see apples, tomatos, and pomegranates too. Lovely.

$20 at kitchenwizard

This print is called "black and white and pink all over". I like the drooping head against the bright colors. It would be the perfect corner accent in a room full of neutrals. Like, oh I see you're mr. and mrs. beige and tan and little cream and khaki, oh wait - aaaak!

$16 at hisss

monday: stuff under twenty

Cute, cute, cute, but not cutesy-cute, you know? Would look fantastic tucked into a pencil or A-line skirt. I'm thinking navy or khaki colored!

$19.90 at Express

An adorable gift for the writer friend, or office worker friend, or kid-at-heart friend. I love the meticulous detail in the typewriter stamp.

$12.20 at presentandcorrect

Oooh, pretty. Like seashells and soft floppy hats pretty. Spring-ify your wardrobe a little early. And, on a delightful note, it looks like Target finally, finally, finally is beginning to take the tiniest baby steps towards making their website interface the smallest bit unfugly. Yay!

$10 at Target

friday: shop under twenty

Have you heard of Nasty Gal? I feel about 95yo, because the name makes me go, is this what kids are naming their stores these days? But the selection is beautiful! Their collection has a vintage-y, street vibe. It's one of those shops where I take one look at the home page, and I want to click off, because I'm sure t-shirts cost $89 bucks. But there's a bunch of stuff that's adorable and surprisingly affordable. You can choose to shop "new" or "vintage", but (fair warning) the vintage looks more expensive! They also have a cute blog. In the under-20 range, they have a few tops, but a ton of gorgeous accessories, especially socks/tights-related stuff.

The thin stripes and navy/white mix brings elegance to this pretty casual tee.

$19 (originally $38)

Delicate, yet bold, necklace!

$20

Um, love these! I've wanted to jump on the knee-high trend for a while, but I'm not totally sure how to do it without being inappropriate (schoolgirl, anyone?). I like that these are toned down in black, but also have a little bit of pretty detail. Gonna be honest, I don't like those shoes, but I could see it working with a skimmer or maybe even a wedge bootie.

$18

thursday: steal under twenty

LOFT is having a 60% off sale items sale! Things are moving super quickly, so hop to it if you're looking for something in particular. There's a nice maternity selection, too!

This beautiful, super-soft pullover is still available in a bunch of sizes and colors!

$17.99 (originally $49) at LOFT

wednesday: steal under twenty

How often do you find a work-appropriate top with just-edgy-enough details in a smashing color? How often is that top 75% off?

$17.88 (originally $74.50) at figleaves

tuesday: art under twenty

I'm having a hard time not buying this myself. Small but evocative, no? (When you use the word evocative, do you have to use "of ---", like q and u?)

$15 at TheHauntedHollowTree

And now for something a little different! Cute cute cute.

$15 at OurHumbleABoweD

I absolutely freaking love everything in this store. I wish we had a blog called ceramics under any amount of money so that I could feature the slightly pricier, insanely beautiful clocks and plaques. But this, with its spare text and simple sentiment, is also perfect.

$20 at mbartstudios

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