Save vs. Splurge Spring Bags and Shoes

There are so many fun Spring shoes and bags out already, many of which I already own from previous seasons! As I’ve been shopping these past couple weeks, I’ve realized that a lot of my key Spring pieces that I’ve purchased are also available at other retailers, some priced much lower, and some priced higher. I figured it would be helpful to make a guide of the items I own (some I own the “save” version and some I own the “splurge”). I have to say that most of the affordable options are equal if not BETTER quality than their pricier twins so if you’ve had your on one of these fun pieces but didn’t want to splurge, you can feel better about saving a few bucks on the affordable option and still get to enjoy all of these Spring trends!

*Hover over image and click on each item to shop*

SAVE

SPLURGE

I can’t wait to style these pieces and share them with you all summer long! I am particularly excited about my woven slip on mules. They are SO comfy and very versatile, perfect for any occasion.

Happy Friday, friends! Thanks for reading!

xo

Trendy Woven Bags for Spring (and Affordable Dupes)!

Hi gals and guys! Happy first day of Spring! What's the weather like where you live? We are on a two day streak of 60 degree weather here in Portland and it feels and looks like summer outside, I'm loving all of the sunshine! I'm attempting to soak up all of the vitamin D that I can before the rain starts tomorrow... we even have one day of snow on our forecast later on this week which is so insane. I'll enjoy this beautiful, short-lived weather while we have it! 

I figured I'd start of this season with a fun post on one of my favorite trends that appears year after year around this time, and that would be woven bags! These babies come back consistently every year during the Spring, and this year is no exception! Although where I live I'm still trending toward denim and booties with a cozy jacket, I'm already stocking up on my favorite straw bags to wear when the warm weather comes back for the Summer!

In this blog post, I've rounded up some of my favorites from Clare V., to Amazon, and every price point in between for any budget! I've heavily curated this post to only include my absolute favorite styles. There are a handful in each category and it was SO hard to narrow it down, but just know I took hours scouring all of my favorite shopping sites so you don't have to. This is one of those posts you bookmark and save for later, I plan on updating it throughout the next few months as new styles come out and prices drop, I'll send out reminders here and there but just a heads up so you know to keep checking back as well! 

The Cult Gaia Arc Bag

We'll start with an iconic silhouette from Cult Gaia. This bag comes back with a vengeance every year, and each time sells out before I can get my hands on it so this year I made sure to snag one during the off season so I can use it all summer long and not be waiting and waiting for it to be re-stocked (it didn't last year)! Click here to get the iconic Arc Bag. Click HERE for a SUPER affordable dupe! More Cult Gaia favorites and dupes are included in the following carousel:

The Clare V. Alice Bag

Another iconic bag that comes back each year is this circular shaped, versatile sisal bag. I love this style because it is beautiful like the Arc bag but it is a tad more casual, which is more my vibe. I couldn't shell out for the full price one HERE, unfortunately they never go on sale, but I found an affordable dupe that I couldn't pass up right HERE.  Also, this one by Loeffler Randall is also a fun option at a similar price if you don't want to stand out from the other fashionistas! I also tagged additional affordable options below:

The Half Moon Straw Tote

I wish I could tell you exactly who made THIS half moon design first, but this one is another classic shape that seems to have been on the scene longer than I have, and now everyone makes their own version of it. I'll tag a bunch from different retailers below so you can shop from your favorite, but honestly they all look identical and are around the same price point. This was the most affordable one I found right HERE. 

The Fun Straw Tote

This is one of my favorite categories! I got an amazing pom pom straw bag from Asos last year and I wore it a ton last year, you may remember it from THIS post back when I was pregnant. There are so many new fun bags this year I could hardly narrow it down and I'm sure I'll be updating this post as the summer goes on, but here are my current favorites: 

The Woven Basket Bag

THIS little cutie is in my cart right now, I'm just waiting to get paid so I can buy it! I've loved this thing since I saw it last summer. I think this style is essential if you want to be a part of this trend for Spring/Summer, and is a great dupe for the ICONIC (how many times can I use that word in this post, thesaurus, anyone?!) Jane Birkin basket bag. How fun would this be to wear to Easter brunch?! In fact, I most likely will be styling this with my Easter dress this year! Check my favs out here:

The Straw Clutch

I love these bags because they're often reminiscent of a fun beach bag but in a compact and more formal style. Usually they pack a punch with fun colors and details and most of the time are a less expensive alternative to a larger straw bag. One can never have to many fun clutches! Here are some of my favorites for this season:

I really hope you all found this post helpful in your search for the perfect woven bag to fit your needs and budget this year! I wish there had been a post like this last year that I could have referenced for my straw bag shopping needs, but alas I never found one that I could shop that included affordable options and great dupes. Not sure why it took me a whole year to realize that I could just do the research myself and combine it into a resourceful post for you and I find the best, cutest spring bags! 

Thanks for taking the time to read, hope you all are having a lovely first day of Spring!

xo

Yellow Shoes and an Ice Cream Date

Jeans: EXPRESS, Shoes: SAM EDELMAN, bag (under $50!): GLAMOROUS, Top: similar HERE and HERE,

Today I wasn't feeling the greatest, between being almost 32 weeks pregnant and starting my day off with a bad headache, I spent most of the day laying on the couch registering for the hospital and signing up for pregnancy classes. I also got a nice long nap in before Dustin got home from work. He convinced me to get up and go for a walk and ice cream to see if it made me feel any better. DUH ice cream makes everything better! We walked by the river while we ate our ice cream cones, it was so perfect outside! 

I've been looking all over for the perfect yellow shoes that are compatible with my third trimester baby belly getting in the way of buckling or tying anything onto my feet, and these fit the bill. They aren't only easy to put on, they're super comfortable and reasonably affordable! In case you haven't noticed I've been on a shoe buying spree for the past few months since my feet are one of the only parts of my body that haven't expanded to the point that I don't know what to put on them, so shoes, shoes, and more shoes it is!

I'm wearing one of my favorite t-shirt dresses since it is long enough to cover the fact that my pants don't button or zip up (they aren't maternity, obv). I just scrunched it up to make it look like a shirt! Unfortunately it's no longer available, but I'll link some similar options at similar price points. I am so obsessed with these jeans, I got them to wear after the baby was born but I couldn't wait. They are super comfy and stretchy and under $100! 

Can we just talk about this woven bag?! I linked it in my last post as well, but I just can't get enough of it. I love all the color it adds to the most basic outfit and of course the poms are too cute!

I'm going to start dinner now, and then go to bed early. I hope you all are having a great week, thanks for reading!

xo