Black and White and Pretty All Over

Shopping, to me, is a chore. It is a chore that I love, but loving it makes it no less work. I go to the store, try on ten or twenty dresses, and finally find about three that fit alright. This is the part where I tell myself I do not need all three of them, especially if I don't absolutely love them. I tell myself that just because it fits doesn't mean I should buy it. If none of them make me feel just amazing, I tell myself to walk out of that dressing room and save my money for another day. 

Yes, it is every bit as difficult as it sounds. Trying to build up a wardrobe and develop a style takes some discipline when I am on a budget.

Luckily for me, a shopping trip just as I described above recently resulted in me not going away empty-handed, but going home with this beautiful black and white patterned dress.

Nothing makes me feel quite as pretty or feminine as a new dress. 
Whenever I get something new I rush home to try it on again, even though I just tried it on in the store. Sometimes I just want to try it on with different shoes or see how different bags look with it.

This dress is such a great find, especially when you consider that it is not only in that timeless black and white, but it's in a really fun print as well.

Also, I love the ruching down the middle of the chest. This makes the dress even more interesting and creates a bit of a slimming effect. 

Now, about these adorable little pink heels. It's just amazing what I find in my local thrift store, isn't it? I fell in love with these lovelies the very second I laid eyes on them. Aren't the little bows just ridiculously cute? True love does exist!

You know what else makes me all happy inside? I had this dress for a little while before I wore it anywhere, and that was only because I didn't like any of my shoes with it. I know that sounds silly since black and white goes with everything, but nothing felt right. Then I brought these shoes home and tried them on with this dress, and I noticed they were the exact same shade of pink as the little piping detail on the ruched part. I'd totally forgotten about that!

This dress and I were meant to be as well. Heck, anytime I find something this pretty on a clearance rack, that's destiny. I must tell you, wearing this dress makes me feel like I could conquer the world. Anything that makes me feel that good is not getting left in the dressing room.

Dress- JCPenny
Shoes- Local thrift store
Jewelry- Local store, Charmed
Clutch- Wal-Mart