What inspires you?

A new chapter in my life has began with a special person by my side encouraging me to do better. Learning to surround yourself with positive people is the best accessory in any lifetime and lifestyle because your smile is also your best accessory. 

Sequined Skirt + Cozy Sweater
This is one of my favorite looks for a holiday party or Christmas dinner/New Years party. Mixing textures is a fun way to add interest to an outfit, and I love how this knit sweater dresses down this sequin skirt.

Faux Fur + Little Black Dress
This oversized textured coat is an unexpected (and quite cozy) way to complete almost any outfit. It’s feminine and a little bit funky; perfect to throw over a cocktail dress for a night out or over jeans and a t-shirt during the day (my favorite way to use them).
Skinny Jeans + Tailored Jacket
A tailored jacket is one those pieces that can completely change the look of an outfit. Pairing it with a silk blouse and a pair of skinny jeans creates the perfect look for a day at the office or just normal run a-rounds. It’s functional while maintaining stylish. Adding a pop of color with shoes would be just as perfect.
Leather Jacket + Lace Maxi
This is one of my favorite day-to-night looks. Mixing a feminine dress and a leather jacket is a great way to attain a fresh look.

While my handbag motto has always been “the bigger the better,” some style stories and evening activities simply demand a clutch. Below is a list of my 15 clutch essentials to help prepare you for anything the night may bring…

 Mints – When chatting with friends or an awkwardly small table, personal-space-violations are inevitable, and fresh breath just becomes common courtesy.
Small brush – After going out to the city for a night or just walking down a few blocks to your favorite restaurant for a get together, a brush is oh so necessary! The wind can sometimes be our friends, but we always have those bad hair days . Learn from my mistake, ladies. Come prepared with a mini brush.
Hand sanitizer –When you are out in public going from train to train or just using a public bathroom, germs are everywhere so after washing your hands of course, put some on. (Carry a little lotion on the go as well to add the moister back to your hands).
Cash – I am mostly a person who always carries cash, but I know others rather have their debit cards, but there are still places that don’t take debit cards, so having a few small bills on hand for tips and the occasional tin cup, is always a good idea…Especially in big cities.
Drivers license and credit/debit cards – Both of these are probably a no brainer, but they’re also the most fundamental items in your clutch. Before you leave the house, double check that you have these critical plastics.


Mini perfume – Mini perfume bottles are my favorite thing to keep in my clutch, handbag and makeup bag. They always come in handy and keep you from smelling like your immediate surroundings. (Recently obsessed with the Flowerbomb perfume by Victor and Rolf. Smells like heaven).
Change – Quarters aren’t only good for laundry day. It’s important to keep a few on hand for paying those pesky parking meters or just for that exact change!
Pain reliever – If you’re prone to headaches like me, a pain reliever that’s in reach is a requirement for survival. It is truly a life saver.
Lipstick, Chapstick, and gloss – Eating and drinking is your lipstick’s biggest enemy, so it’s crucial to keep some color in your clutch for reapplications throughout the night. I always have my favorite chapstick nearby to keep my lips hydrated and full of natural looking shine (that goes for the gloss too).
Powder – I’ve noticed that the more fun one has during a night out, the quicker their makeup fades. A compact pressed powder should always be a beauty essential to keep your skin looking fresh instead of faded. (I use the FIT powder by Maybelline).
Bandages – We hobble. We fall. We dance like we’re at a Katy Perry concert. Bandages are the perfect aid for irresponsible mishaps (or those new pair of shoes that looks so good but hurt so bad).
Bobby pins and hair bands – If only our hair could maintain the same status as the one we left the house with, life would be so much simpler, wouldn’t it? Unfortunately “elements” and what-not always seem to prevail, requiring an immediate hair rescue aka bobby pins.
Pack of tissues – Tissues are great to use for blotting off surface oil from your skin and correcting make up smudges. Okay, little tip: We all know how public bathroom have the toilet seat paper thing that you put on the toilet for you to sit on, right? So, if you take a little piece of it and dab it on your face, it helps with taking off the oil off your face! (DIY? I think yes!)
Backup phone charger – This is just self explanatory. You neeeeeed this.
Stain removing pen – To prevent yourself from having to flaunt a food or stain from who knows where on your outfit all evening, an instant stain remover, like a Tide Pen, has the power to save your garment and your dignity.(You could get these at your local drug store).

What are some “clutch essentials” that you can’t leave the house without?
 Let me know in the comments below.

Happy happy Tuesday!
T-shirts are definitely one of my go-to pieces that always has my back. We all know how a t-shirts feels and mostly, we wear them to bed. So when you are able to add a t-shirt to your outfit and dress it up, it's one of my favorite things ever! (It's the simple things, ya know?)
Great thing about fashion? there are no set rules...
Layering up to make a simple t-shirt a bit more interesting is always the fun part.

I like to always use a shirt in a fun print (like polka dots, gingham, plaid, etc). This time, this T-shirt has leather on the upper back and half of the shoulders.
BUT, before I get into my outfit, I just want to take a second to talk about pea coats and trench coats briefly. I have been on the hunt for a beige trench coat and cannot to seem to find it anywhere. So my point here is if you guys know of some places where they sell cute ones, please let me know!! (Comment on my Instagram post (@kalynrodriguezz) or comment right here on my blog!)

I love how easily a pair of perfect sneakers can fit into anyone's wardrobe. Whether it's a pair of lace ups, zip on the side, or one of my favorites, slip-on's, they all still make your wardrobe go from "one of those days" to sporty chic. As all of you know, I love sales and how I have been trying my best to not buy right away, but to look around and find something that is somewhat similar...
So, I have currently been so obsessed with the Ecentric slip on's from Steve Madden... Here is my story:

 They are $79.95 ... see my problem? I was just going to buy them as soon as I saw them, but took a peek at the price. My first thought was I don't care, I have to have them, but then the second thought was damn.. The price made me want to tear up a bit, so I just decided to sleep on it and then if I could not find them anywhere else then, I would just have to buy them (that was the deal, right?). Lucky enough Forever 21 had my back for $31.52.
They have their differences, but they also have their similarities. Their purpose would be the same and whichever outfit I would have decided to pair the Steve Madden one's with, I could do the same with the Forever 21 one's. As I always say, it is not the brand that matters, it is how you choose to wear it. 
You guys also should know that I am not talking badly about one company compared to the other. I just like to save money and if I could do that, then I would love to share and save you some money as well.
Hope your weekend has been going fantastically and that it continues that way!
I also hope your Halloween was safe and enjoyable. If you are still celebrating, well keep enjoying it!!

Love you guys!
PS: We surpassed 15,000 pageviews!!!!!!!! This is SO amazing! Thank you all so much for the help, you guys are the best!
xoxo

What type of shopper are you?

I know I have a really bad habit of seeing something I like and wanting to buy it right there and then, but I am working on it! I have noticed that some of the stores are getting very repetitive with having the same styles of clothing. I mean of course, it's competition between stores, but that's something smart buyers have to start realizing. A top that you may see in one store may be $20 in another rather than $35 from the original top. That is $15 you can save to buy yourself a whole different top! Instead of just buying one, you can get two tops for the price of one just because you decided to look around another store! 

This post isnt about trash talking stores or picking favorites because trust me, I have had my slips too with buying the more expensive top rather than saving that money. This is about helping you guys look for better and affordable ways to look the way you want to without having to make your wallet cry! (Although, you should always spoil yourself once in a while).


So my point once again, is to show you guys how you can save so much money by just looking around other stores instead of just grabbing and go! Walk around the mall or outlets or wherever you shop and just compare prices because you can always go back if you can not seem to get the item that is most expensive out of your mind! This is not so much of a trick, it's just having options and since I'm trying my best to help myself, I just wanted to help you guys out as well and share my story since that is what my blog is all about!

I hope you guys are having a very laid back or at least enjoying your Sunday to get started for another week to your beautiful lives and learned something new!

Life is a work in progress...

xoxoxoxoxo