Fashion Me Fabulous

My Christmas break was spent sick. When I returned to work, they sent me home. Lately, I've been loving loose sweater dresses. It's like wearing a snuggy. Now, if I had the energy to apply makeup, maybe people would stop telling me "You look terrible!" $150 Challenge: Loose Dress by fashionmefabulous bat wing sweater dress, Uniqolo $29.90 long sleeved top, Forever 21 $7.80 tapestry corduroy stretch pants, Hue on Amazon $35 lace up ankle booties, Qupid on Amazon $40 neon bib necklace, Forever 21 $8.80

$150 Challenge: Colorful Winter by fashionmefabulous puffer coat, Target $39 blue sweater, Target $19 (sale) red pants, Target $28 wedge booties, Charm on Amazon $29 scarf, hat, and fingerless glove set, Amazon $39

Fall Casual by fashionmefabulous bird sweater, Target $19.99 burgundy corduroys, Target $24.99 gold trim boots, DSW $54 canvas messenger bag, Amazon $15

No one thinks about work when they think about summer (with the exception of lifeguarding, roller coasters operating, camp counseling, and other college jobs), but the work beast must churn on. To think we ever resisted Mom's urgings to go outside and play. Stay comfortable with linen pants, an open-weave cardigan, and a punchy summer color. $150 Challenge: Summer at Work by fashionmefabulous grey linen crop pant, Gap $38 (sale) orange pleat top, Target $18 open weave cardigan, Target $30 sandals, Aerosoles at J. C. Penney $45 (sale) square rhinestone bangle, Bon Ton $8.40 (sale) round rhinestone bracelet, Bauble Bar $16 (sale)

July 4th can be a long day of celebration. There are parades, barbeques, picnics, reunions, and a night of fireworks. Be super prepared for casual fun in denim bermuda shorts, cute Keds, a light cotton top and sunglasses. $150 Challenge: Independence Day by fashionmefabulous cotton top, Target $18 denim shorts, Target $20 foil star Keds on Amazon $30 * corn husk bag on Amazon $37 sunglasses, Target $13 *I bought these a few weeks ago for yard work and general summer outdoorsiness. They have mild arch support!

$150 Challenge: Office Job Interview by fashionmefabulous featuring liz claiborne blazer, J. C. Penney's $35 stud pencil skirt, J. C. Penney's $25 green peplum blouse, J. C. Penney's $24 (sale) croc embossed leather shoes, Naturalizer $69 (sale) For my full list of tips for dressing for a job interview, check out this post .

Thursday, my hubby and I took the day off to have a date at Cedar Point. Because I didn't want to carry around my usual large bag, I carried a cross-body bag. With the spring wind blowing off Lake Erie, I thought I should take precautions and layer a breezy long sleeved top over a modal tank and longer shorts. Comfy shoes are a must for all that walking. With jewelry, this look rings up at just over $150. Amusement Park by fashionmefabulous safari shorts, Mango $40 polka dot top, Mod Cloth $33 bow sneakers, Keds on Amazon $50 cross-body floral bag, ASOS $17 headband, Forever 21 $3.80 orange chevron ring, Forever 21 $4.80 orange flower ring, Charlotte Russe $3

Stripes. Dots. Nautical Spring. by fashionmefabulous stripes and dots sundress, Target $25 cropped cardigan, Mod Cloth $28 striped flats, DSW $25 polka dot bow bag, DSW $25  bangles, Forever 21 $5.80

As we've mentioned, black and white is one of the biggest trends of the season. We love the graphic prints and how easy it is to find basics right now, but we're not too excited about a head-to-toe color ban. We color-lovers are working this trend by wearing a great black and white pattern with accessories in the same bold color (or solid color outfit with stand out black and white accessories). The mix of patterns with one color balances the attention. It works great with primary colors --red, yellow or blue, but last year's pastels or neons would be fun too. Play around and figure out what black and white's best friend is in your closet. Black and White and Ice by fashionmefabulous featuring a capped sleeve dress striped peplum dress, Target $24.99 d'orsay pump, DSW $59.95 envelop bag, Nordstrom $48 belt, Forever 21 $4.80 stud earrings, Fantasy Jewelry Box $19.99

This look started out as an attempt to make a black dress look very young and fresh. Of course, this one has a sexy back drape. I didn't want a blue purse considering my blue accessories, but that clutch is a fake book. A book , people. It could not be passed up. I'd wear this with winged liner and red lips. Black and Blue by fashionmefabulous featuring teal jewelry Click on the small pictures above for product links.

I believe we've featured this green velvet dress before, but now it's on super clearance! Being green velvet, it's perfect as a Christmas party dress. However, since it's a mossy shade instead of emerald, you can wear it other times of the year without looking Christmasy. Since this is a statement dress, I kept things simple with a nude bootie, metallic box clutch, and cuff bracelet. I would wear this look with dramatic gold and bronze eyes and nude lips and nails (yes, I said nude!). Green Velvet Dress by fashionmefabulous featuring zip shoes dress, Dillard's $4 5 (do w n from $128!) / booties, Amazon $35 / clutch, Amazon $29 / cuff, Forever 21 $8

Spotted a girl at the grocery store sporting a sequin striped top. Let it be known that we are pro buying canned peaches while looking like a disco ball. I kept thinking that if you put that top with some skinny black pants and you have a holiday outfit you can dance all night in. For a more casual house party, swap the trousers for jeans. If you're on a tight budget, a multi-piece ensemble with flats is the most economical option for a holiday party. A Night of Dancing by fashionmefabulous sequin dolman sleeve tunic, Last Call by Neiman Marcus $39.50 (sale) / faux leather skinny tuxedo pants, ASOS $61 / glitter envelope clutch, Loemann's $22 (sale) / rhinestone smoking slipper, Target $19.99 / teardrop clip-on earrings, Forever 21 $4.80

All month, we'll be bringing you holiday party looks for the $150 Challenge. It's festive enough for the holidays while still working for other times of the year, a bonus for those of you who aren't into red and ho-ho-hos. This entire outfit is just over $115. Colorful Party Girl by fashionmefabulous featuring beaded bangles polka dot dress, Mod Cloth $45 / floral pumps, Target $30 / bow waist belt, Forever 21 $4.80 / tights, Forever 21 $5.80 /  glitter clutch, Target $17 /  beaded bangle, Forever 21 $6.80 / rhinestone hoops, Forever 21 $5.80

As I've been doing all month, I have taken the final look from Jael Paris' Fall Inspiration post and created a version that only costs $150. Jael creates her looks as a way to give you ideas for colors, shapes, styles and themes that would make great looks. Because these are inspiration posts and she doesn't expect you to go out and buy the exact pieces, she doesn't worry about how much the items cost. In case you do want to create a similar look, I've put together an affordable version. (Last week, I told you my tricks for finding budget items ). $2,000 Version: School Marm by fashionmefabulous featuring betsey-johnson $158 Version: Thanks to sales, this version features a cashmere cardigan (which is a bit more versatile than the sweater above) and modal socks. The shiny skirt looks demure with this outfit, but could be dressed up for parties and dates. The shoes are 64% off. The faux leather bag keeps costs low. The glasses are costume rather than ...

Earlier this fall, Jael Paris made a Fall Inspiration post with several autumn-ready outfits. Because Jael creates these with style in mind rather than cost, I've been creating affordable versions of her looks to show how to translation inspiration into a budget friendly look no matter how where than inspiration comes from be it our blog, other websites or the major fashion magazines. Fall! by fashionmefabulous Jael's original set (above) cost nearly $1,400. My look (below) costs just 37 cents over $140. I was able to make it cost 90% less with a few simple tricks. Forgo the high end fabrics: The merino wool sweater became a cotton, wool, angora, synthetic blend sweater from Target. On the upside, it's machine washable. (You can also shop sales as seasons end to get high end fabrics much cheaper.) Focus on Function: An affordable sweater skirt could not be found, but I kept the comfy feel with an orange corduroy skirt. Use Accessories Wisely: I added som...

As I've been doing for the past couple of weeks ( week 1 , week 2 ), I've copied one of Jael Paris' fall inspiration looks and turned it into an outfit you can obtain for under $150. Once again, Jael puts these looks together with shape, color and style in mind rather than price. She doesn't intend for you to buy all the pieces. Rather, she hopes you'll find inspiration for your own wardrobe. This is why her fall teal and pink look costs $2,638. Fall in Teal and Pink by fashionmefabulous   To copy the look I went for a similar military style jacket. To keep costs down I used a very basic pant. Pink shoes are a bit tricky for fall, but I found a lovely pair of coral flats that looked great with the teal. The top in Jael's set only costs $26, but that would have put me $6 over my $150 limit so I found a $10 sweater shell at Target (But you face no obligation to stay under $150 so you could easily swap my sweater for Jael's top. You probably had th...

Just like I did last week, I'm taking on the Jael Paris' fall inspiration sets and creating a similar look for under $150 Challenge. Like I said last time, Jael Paris focuses on style for her inspiration sets rather than price, which is why this look costs $2,200. Bright Sweater Dress by fashionmefabulous My look (below) costs only $147.03. I kept the essence of the look by finding a basic bright sweater dress and pairing it with brown neutrals. Jael used a gold beaded statement necklace. Because that was out of my price range, I went for a bold, gold chain necklace in a similar style. I was able to keep the same ring because it only cost $7.82. I also had a few extra dollars so I threw in some tights for extra coziness. $150 Challenge: Bright Sweater Dress by fashionbeccafabulous Pictured: Multi-Chain Necklace, Forever 21, $8.80 Bright Sweater Dress, Old Navy, $29.94 Round Sunglasses, Forever 21, $3.50 Wedge Buckle Boots, Target, $34.99 Croc-Textur...

Recently, Jael Paris put together a collection of fall inspiration looks . Over the next few weeks, I'm going to use those same looks as inspiration for $150 Challenges. When Jael makes her inspiration look she chooses pieces for their style without worrying about how much they cost, which is why her look costs over $6,000. Reading Under A Tree by fashionmefabulous featuring badgley mischka I kept cost low by replacing the signature sweater coat in her look with a versatile, but still interesting cardigan. I added an affordable belt to get a similar look and a basic tee to go underneath. These still make a statement, but they are also more versatile and can be used in other parks of your wardrobe. I went for cheaper, but still great jeans from Old Navy. (You probably already have a basic tee, belt and jeans so you can even save a few dollars there). While I'd love to own the $500 Badgley Mischka satchel, I swapped it for a cute messenger from Target, which is great ...

Right now, if I weren't frantically packing for a trip to Japan while trying to make my blog posts publish on spotty internet, I would totally be headed to a cider mill for some fresh apples. I can't wait to go to Japan, but I hate packing so I tend to dream of things like picking apples. And I know what I would pack for apple picking--a cute apple print dress, cozy cardi, a purse that could double as a basket, and boots for navigating the orchard. You can get this whole look for under $150. $150 Challenge: Apple Picking by fashionbeccafabulous Pictured: Apples All Day Dress, Modcloth, $84.99 Ruffle Cardigan, Target, $17.99 Straw Basket Tote, Alloy, $14.99 Brick Tights, Forever 21, $4.50 Buckle Boots, 6pm.com, $24.78

It's pumpkin spice latte season. Actually, its pumpkin flavored everything season, and I love it. I can't wait to make some pumpkin soup. I just made pumpkin bread and pumpkin seed butter. I'm all about the pumpkins. I'm also all about fall colors. This casual look captures fall colors with a touch of sparkle. The whole look costs around $136, which means you'll have plenty left over to support your pumpkin habit. $150 Challenge: Hoot Wants Pumpkin Spice Lattes by fashionbeccafabulous Pictured: Owl Graphic Tee, Target, $9.99 Burgundy Jeans, Target, $22.99 Ultra Soft Cardigan, Target, $19.99 Gold Oxfords, Amazon, $59.99 Crossbody Bag, Target, $22.49