I am so grateful to have had the opportunities to see the most beautiful destinations in our country and around the world! I currently live outside of Los Angeles, and some may argue I am living a vacation. The weather is (usually) amazing, the beaches are beautiful, and there is so much culture to explore! Malibu, CA Newport Beach, CA outfit details: Burberry sweater dress [secondhand, $115], Burberry scarf [secondhand, $80], Converse sneakers [new, gift], Rebecca Minkoff bag [new, $50], Michael Kors watch [new, $100] Forever 21 hat [new, $10], Rayban aviators [new, $90] winery in Napa Valley, CA As a military brat, I moved around quite a bit. I can say that I have seen 26/50 of our states (outside of an airport!) According to this map, I am totally slacking in middle and Northeastern America! Fun story: The fact that I have been able to see New York (and New York City at that!) was an awesome combination of a cancelled flight in Newark, and then giving up our seats on our rescheduled and overbooked flight for two seats in first class (!!) AND $1000 in United credit! We immediately hopped on a bus to Manhattan and had 5 amazing hours of tourist fun! **fancy tip: if you are flexible with your travel plans, and the possibility arises, take the opportunity to give up your seats for a later flight! In our case, United was desperately overbooked, so it was easy to negotiate our way into first class seats. First class from Newark to LAX was amazing and made the 6 hour flight so enjoyable! Later on, we used our United credit towards another first class flight. This is definitely the most enjoyable way to fly, so we always save and try to find our way into these seats whenever feasible!** Even though I have seen over half the country, there are still so many places I haven't been! I dream of cruising to Alaska, and laying on the beach at Waikiki. My husband and I often talk about making an East Coast road trip, starting in Maine (lobster!) and slowly sight seeing and eating our way down to Key West, FL. One day! As far as international goes, I have only been to a handful of countries across North America and Europe. Even thought Mexico is incredibly close, I have yet to go. We made a day trip to Canada during a visit to Seattle, and spent a nice afternoon in Vancouver before heading back south of the border. My husband is German, so we try to fly back once or twice a year to visit family. If possible, I always try to plan a trip to another country during these visits. Europe is incredibly connected, and it is super easy to hop on a train and be in another country in a matter of hours! test driving a Cayman GTS in Stuttgart, Germany Strasbourg, France Madrid, Spain London, England Greece, Italy, and Sweden are at the top of my must see list right now! Any suggestions? Leave a comment below! There is a lot in the works for 2016, and I'm excited to travel the world with you all!
xoxo Sydney
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details: Dolce & Gabbana top [secondhand, $25]. Nordstrom skirt [new, $30], Gucci flats [new, $230]. Banana Republic bag [new, $10], Tiffany & Co earrings [new, gift], Michael Kors watch [new, $100], Rayban wayfarers [new, gift] This outfit made me feel like a princess! Temperatures in SoCal have hit the triple digits, and this flowy skirt was perfect for the heat. Topped with a light tee and classic flats, I was good to go! I'm very big on minimal jewelry ("Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance."- Coco Chanel), so I'm wearing a small pair of Tiffany & Co silver heart studs, and a gold rose Michael Kors watch. Scroll for more pics! ^^^ goofball.
xoxo Sydney I would like to think I've been having this much fun since birth, but in reality I've only been a blonde for 3 years. Despite this, my golden tresses have become an obsession, and I keep up the ruse as best I can. This requires a visit to the hair salon every 4-6 weeks, and most of you know that gets expensive REAL quick. The price in SoCal for a cut and color fluctuates anywhere on average between $200 and $400 (without tip!!). GASP! That brings your hair upkeep from a salon alone to a yearly total upward of $3500!! This kind of money could buy me a variety of items off my lust list, like the gorg Chanel bag below: Chanel soft maxi flap bag $3200 from The Real Real (my ABSOLUTE favorite online thrift shop) Hair salons come with a high sticker price, but I'm not ready to ditch the blonde locks just yet (and don't trust myself with the do-it-yourself kits, yikes!). I decided to venture out and attempt to find a solution to this expensive problem. Some serious googling brought me across Paul Mitchell the school, located in Costa Mesa, CA. It is a training facility for Paul Mitchell certification in hair and barbering. Students (monitored by instructors) put what they've learned in the classroom to the test. I was impressed by the facilities, which were super cute, clean, and spacious! the front desk, and a view of the salon area lobby My student hair dresser met me in the lobby, and brought me back to her chair. I was even offered water, tea, and coffee, just as any nice salon would do. I told her I just needed a root touch up and trim, and she brought her instructor over to talk her through the process. Every step of the way, my hair dresser would get her instructor's approval before doing anything permanent to my head. I super appreciated this! As the dye was lifting, I looked around to the other brave souls around me. There were a few guys getting barbered, the girl next to me was getting highlights, and another girl was going from rapunzel hair to a bob with shaved sides. Respect! My hair dresser then washed out the dye, gave me a bomb head massage, and blew out my hair. My locks turned out exactly like my regular (and much more expensive) hair dresser would have created! outfit details: Burberry sweater dress (secondhand, $115) I gave my girl a hug and headed to the front desk to pay. The prices online were all "start at" prices, so I really wasn't sure to expect. The damage was...a total of $33! Are you kidding me?? I gave the receptionist major heart eyes emoji face as I handed over my credit card. Paul Mitchell the school, where have you been these past three years?? Needless to say, I booked another appt. for my 6 week touch up. And the great part is, I could even make the appt. with the same girl. Verdict? No need to splurge on expensive salon services. Check out your local beauty schools for great deals!
xoxo Sydney My latest score comes in the form of these adorable Banana Republic black and white sandals with a modest heel: They pair well with a variety of items in my wardrobe, and they successfully accomplished the total 180 from a Saturday night out in Hollywood to a lazy Sunday pool party. They are the kind of shoes you forget have a heel, and I have received so many compliments when I wear them. These bad boys retail at $150, and I paid a whopping...*drum roll please*... $3.22! night out in Hollywood outfit details: Vince Camuto dress [new, $30], Banana Republic heels [new, $3!!], Rebecca Minkoff bag [new, $50], Michael Kors watch [new, gift] // We ate at Cleo at the Redbury Hotel, so delicious and fun! You read that clearly, I paid $3 for a well made leather pair of adorableness! How did I pull this off? Through a well concocted, perfectly timed shopping trip utilizing my BR credit card points, a spring sale, and these beauties being the very last pair, and in my size! I have been the owner of a Banana Republic credit card for some time now, as BR is my go to for high quality basics and wardrobe staples, and the points I accumulate with purchases are practically free money for more clothes. Win! (**a store credit card comes with honesty and restraint, as they often have above average APRs/ I will be discussing the best way to utilize store cards in a future post**) I try to be smart with these points, and attempt to time my shopping trips with sales. The stars aligned when the very last pair of these beauties were on final sale at $40, with a 40% off sale, an extra 30% off for card holders, and my $15 in rewards, bringing the total price to a single digit. I wasn't even remotely embarrassed to hear the snooty sales lady read me my total! This must have messed with her commission, and for that I am...not even remotely sorry. ;) outfit details: Banana Republic top [new, $20], Banana Republic skirt [new, $20], Banana Republic heels [new, $3], Banana Republic bag [new, $10], Stephen Silver fresh water pearls [new, gift], Michael Kors watch [new, gift], Rayban Wayfarers [new, gift] I am still riding on this $3 high, and can't wait to share more of my fancy finds with all of you!
xoxo Sydney Hello everyone! I am so SO excited to be launching fancy free today, and to be sharing what I love with all of you! From an early age, my family has always considered me the “bargain shopper.” In contrast to this, I LOVE everything high end and luxurious! I would consider my style polished and classic (but a little sexy ;)). Brands at the top of my lust list include Burberry, Gucci, and Chloe, to name just a few. I come from a modest, middle class, lovely family, and have accumulated many tips and tricks over the years about the when, where, and how of buying, doing, eating, and seeing the most beautiful in life. You can expect posts about my outfits, including the price I paid and if I bought it new or secondhand (thrift stores can be amazing places!), my wardrobe staples, shopping tips, beauty do’s and don’ts, adventures around the world, interior design, budgeting tips, and so much more! Even if you don’t have a trust fund (le sigh,) you can still experience and live the very best. Because you deserve it! If you have any questions, comments, or want to share tips of your own, PLEASE send me a message in the contact tab above! I am so very excited to join this journey with all of you, and can’t wait to see what lies in store! Xoxo Sydney |
Live for luxury? No trust fund, no problem!
Join the fancy free journey as we seek the finer things in life, sans millions. Press
- Marie Claire, September 2016 Categories
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