Watching

UPDATE: Click here to see the outfit breakdown day by day and the links to all “8 winter buys” have been updated below!

The best part of my job is showing women how to make the most of the clothes they already own by shopping smart and being selective about the new things they buy.

It’s always a challenge to try and build an entire wardrobe that’s chic and wearable and affordable…and that’s way I love it when Nate asks me to do it for under $200 each season!

Please tune in this Friday to find out where to get my “8 must-buy winter items” (pictured left) and to learn how to remix them with simple basics to create an entire month’s worth of outfits…trust me, it’ll make you look at you closet in a totally new light!

1. Sweater, Old Navy

2. Plaid Shirt, JCPenney

3. Denim Shirt, Old Navy

4. Statement Necklace, Forever 21

5. Skinny Cords, Gap

6. Blue Blazer, H&M

7. Zig Zag Everly Dress, Tobi.com

8. Lace Up Ankle Boot, Target.com

I never give y’all enough of a heads up so I’m giving you almost 12 hours notice this time!

I’ll be back on The Nate Berkus Show today (11/30) doing what I love…showing real women what to buy, how to shop and how to feel fabulous on small budget!

I got the chance to do a little CheapChica housecall this time and paid a visit to one lucky viewer in New Jersey.  She has a problem I think we all have…so many clothes and not one thing to wear!

Tune in tomorrow to see how I revamped her closet and to find out my secret plan of attack for shopping smart and saving money at one of my favorite stores…TJ Maxx!  You won’t want to miss this episode!

PS: I love this picture of Nate and I…if you glance at it quickly it looks like he could be proposing to me…a girl can dream!

I must sound like a broken record at this point…but I hope at least I’m one of those classic songs that you don’t mind hearing on repeat!

So I’m back on The Nate Berkus Show today (wearing this amazing dress from Karen Millen pictured here) and I couldn’t be more excited about the segment…I’m going to show you how to take all of your Fall/Winter clothes and make them over for the new season.  I bet you’re wondering how…right?

Well, all it takes is one pair of pants…white pants to be exact and the ones we featured are under $25 from H&M so you don’t even have to spend a lot to transition your entire closet!

White pants instantly make anything feel fresh, spring-like and oh so chic…just think about how amazing Jackie O always looked in her white crop pants!  The key is finding a style that’s not too baggy and that hits right at or just above the ankle.

And if you’re wondering what to pair them with, take note of Spring’s 3 biggest trends: color blocking, neutrals and nautical…here’s a breakdown of where I got everything featured on the show:

Color Blocking: Blouse, H&M; Purple Pumps, Last Call by Neiman Marcus; Necklace, LOFT

Neutrals: Blouse, Top Shop; Snake Wedges, Last Call by Neiman Marcus

Nautical: Top, H&M; Pewter Sandals, LOFT; Necklace, Simply Vera Vera Wang

I hope this gets you in the mood to shop your own closet before you head out and shop for Spring!

I’m back on The Nate Berkus show today, so if you’re home please tune in or set your DVRs!

I always love going on the show (and not just b/c I have a major crush on Nate) and today we tackle a problem ALL of us have…over-shopping! Annette had more clothes in her closet than I do…many with the tags still attached but she still said she had “nothing to wear”…how many of us are guilty of doing that?? ME!

We not only help organize her closet so she can see what she actually owns, but I found tons of amazing items that she had never worn and help her style them like one of her fashion icons…JLo!  You’ll have to tune in to see how I take her old clothes and turn them into new styles!

Now for what I’m wearing…this maybe one of my favorite dresses I’ve ever worn!  You can’t really appreciate how cute it is because I’m sitting down in it during the whole segment, but this Lemon Macaroon Dress from Lulus.com is Spring at it’s best.

It’s a soft yellow color with a coral band around the waist and all those ruffles and layers make the dress look oh-so expensive but it’s not…it’s $70 bucks and I can’t tell you how many compliments I got on set!

Now for the shoes…we all know that coral is the hottest color of the season, so when I saw that this dress would give me the chance to scoop up a pair of coral shoes, I immediately went for it! This Kovie style from Michael Antonio went perfectly with the dress and I love that they even had a snake skin texture (another huge Spring trend)!

These shoes may not be for walking…they’re sky high…but they sure do look good on your feet and for $55 who can complain?!  I love having a pump in a super fun Spring-y color that will add some serious pop to otherwise neutral outfits.

And you know what I always say, if you’re scared of color in your wardrobe…just add it in your accessories!  So …what do you think of the outfit??

Here’s where I bought the items you saw featured on the show (L to R) along with links on where to find items similar to the ones she already had in her closet:

Photo Credit: Julie Holder/Sony Pictures Television

Look 1: Grey Sheath Dress, Target $29.99

Look 2: Merona Printed Top, Target $29.99; Black Pants, Old Navy $24 ; Pink Belt, Kohls $12.99

Look 3: Merona Yellow Cardigan, Target $29.99; White Tank, Walmart $3.99; Printed Skirt, H&M $25

Look 4: White Button Down, Forever 21 $19; White Jeans, JCPenney (Olsen Boye) $24, Printed Scarf Belt, Target $12.99

Look 5: Striped Blazer, H&M $25; Grey Skirt, Old Navy $19.99

Look 6: Purple Blouse, JCPenney (East Fifth) $8.99;  Grey Skirt, Old Navy $19.99

Look 7: Striped T-shirt, H&M $12.99 Skinny Jeans, LC Lauren Conrad for Kohls $34.99, Printed Scarf Belt, Target $12.99, Pink Flats, Old Navy $22.50

…I will continue to update this throughout the day but I have to get on a plane home to Philly! Hope you loved the segment…it was such a great exercise in making the most of what you own and shopping for just the right pieces that will help maximize your closet while minimizing your spending!!

If y’all are home tomorrow during the day, please tune into The Nate Berkus Show on NBC! I’ll be on in the later half of the show (after Dr.Oz!!) sharing my secrets on how to look like a celebrity on a very tight budget!

And if you think you can tell the difference between a $20,000 outfit and a $200 outfit this show is for you…it’s a lot harder than you think!

I couldn’t be more excited for the show and I’m happy to say that I’ll be back for two more episodes in March!!

PS: What do yall think of my outfit??

My goal is to get one of these up every week so please comment (here or on YouTube) with what kind of videos you’d like to see…and if you haven’t yet, don’t forget to subscribe to our channel so you never miss out on a new video!!

After a lot of deliberation, I finally bit the bullet and started a YouTube channel!  I think it will be another fun way to share trends, fashion advice, product reviews and answer all of your questions!

I kicked off the channel by sharing “What I Wore” on a TV segment I shot this morning.  I always get emails asking for details on my wardrobe after an appearance so I thought this would be a good way to not only tell you what I had on, but also get into what make-up I had on and how I get “camera ready”!

Please let me know what you think and don’t forget to subscribe (and pass it on)…there will be many, many videos to come!

Even though Season 8 of Project Runway is long gone, I still can’t get the brilliant work of finalist Mondo Guerra out of my head. IM(humble)O he should have won, hands down. Just saying. I mean, the Hedi Klum chose to wear his bubble dress on the red carpet not because Mondo won some challenge and she had to, but because she wanted to.

So as I start to dream up what my perfect spring wardrobe would look like, I have his quirky aesthetic fixed in my mind. Of course it is impossible to find anything like Mondo’s pieces in stores. But, his style can easily be taken from runway to everyday with the right combination of sophisticated black and white and bold and bright ethnic themes.

Another key to catching Mondo’s vibe is bold, bright (like neon) color!!! Mondo is all about the hot pink, yellow and turquoise and any combo of the above. Love it! For a more vearable interpretation, just add a neon skinny belt to any of your go-to ensembles!

And The most unique part of his style is how he uses metallic as almost a neutral, making the eclectic mix of elements all blend!

Adding a mix of any of Mondo’s styling tricks is sure to create an outfit that scream spring-chic. I can’t wait to start mixing and matching like the true master himself. Oh and Mondo, I saw the genius in your head pom-poms, even if Michael Kors didn’t!