housing works, fashion for action
Last night I attended an event I look forward to every year: Housing Works Fashion for Action. I'm a huge supporter of Housing Works and their chain of thrift stores in NYC {remember my Balenciaga booties I scored from Buy the Bag?!}. Well, I don't just love Housing Works for their fly, affordable fashion. Their mission is to help the homeless and those living with HIV/AIDS. As someone who lost her father to AIDS {you can read my store here}, I'm always advocating for any services that benefit the community.
Last night was the 10th annual Fashion for Action benefit. It's the perfect combination of fashion and philanthropy as 250 fashion brands were on hand offering their goods at up to 70 percent off. And the proceeds benefited charity.
If you missed the opening night, here's what went down. Plus, how you can still get your hands on some of the amazing pieces. And of course I have to show you what pieces I scored and what I wore.

looking fly on a dime holiday gift guide
As I went shopping this weekend, I noticed a common theme: stores are already playing holiday music! It really made me snap back to reality and get a move on with my shopping. I never, ever know what to buy anyone for the holiday.
And that's where InStyle.com's Pop-Up Holiday Boutique really comes in handy. With fashion and beauty goods on hand, you'll have no problem finding something for everyone in your life. Though I love giving stylish gifts, determining sizing is always tricky. But with items like scarves, gloves, tech accessories and purses, they're one size fits all.

Flat boot for fall, fall fashion Last week, Dianna from the Budget Babe Instagrammed the photo above and I was absolutely baffled. She totally co-signed a trend I'm noticing more and more. Um, when did Payless start charging $60 for shoes? I can kinda sorta understand that price tag for a designer collaboration, but a basic pair of boots. At Payless. For $59.99?!
I remember when I was a kid and my mom used to buy my shoes from Payless because the store was affordable. But now, have they lost that budget friendly appeal?

how to wear accessories, how to wear florals

I have a confession: I love cheap jewelry. Well, I don't specifically seek out cheap-y pieces, but when I stumble upon a hole in the wall store or random shop in SoHo, I love walking away with a ton of accessories for next to nothing. And more importantly, I love finding ways to incorporate them in my wardrobe in a fun way. Whether it's a funky hat or bold necklace, accessories can transform any and every look.
A few weeks ago I found a cute floral romper from the Salvation Army. I went there on Wednesday when most items are half off. Though this piece wasn't half off, at $6, I still felt it was necessary in my closet. Florals can come off a bit juvenile and even matronly {you don't want to look like your grandma's couch!}, but when paired with the right accessories, they're grown up and chic.

Looking fly on a Dime, H&M chiffon dress

Late last week we experienced a heat wave in NYC and besides being uncomfortable, it made getting dressed a bit tricky. Though the heat had me ready to walk around the city in the buff {it's totally legal for women in NYC to be  topless in public. Who knew?!}, obviously that wasn't going to happen. And I had to head outdoors to film my Savvy Shopper segment for WPIX. So that meant keeping cool while looking cute.Clingy material is a no-no when temps start to soar, so I grabbed my H&M  frock from Salvation Army. It's breezy, bright and the rosette details at the waist add a nice touch.