2011: A Very Stylish Year in Review

What a phenomenal — and stylish — year it has been. As we await the arrival of 2012, I wanted to take a look back at Style Me Thrifty’s most memorable moments from 2011. And what better way to do that than to serve them up superlative-style (heey high school!).

Let’s take a walk down memory lane…

Most Popular:
Top 10 Tips for Looking Fab at a Bridal Shower
My site stats read loud & clear: women of all ages don’t know what to wear to bridal showers! Glad to know we’re in this together. Thanks for making this post so popular (all my other posts are jealous).

Most Likely to Succeed [in an Internet Search]:
“ombre nails”
Believe it or not, ombre nails was the most searched term that brought traffic to my blog. I find this pretty cool/random! Note to self: post more awkward hand photos.

Busy Bee Award:
December 21, 2011
Despite being a big week for holiday travel, December 21 was SMT’s busiest day for traffic. Thanks for logging in, even on the road, at your grandma’s house, at work! etc.

Chatty Kathy Award:
Introducing… the Spin Pin!
The comments came pouring in when I reviewed Goody’s Spin Pins. In fact, this post is also the most talked about (in person) post amongst my friends and family. Must buy stock in Goody!

Scariest Moment:
The day I joined Twitter
Jumping into the Twittersphere was not an easy decision. So many tweets, so little time. I finally decided – what the heck – and dove in head-first. Join me!

Happiest Moment of 2011:
The day I bought stylemethrifty.com
November 11 will forever hold a special spot in my heart: I finally dropped the “wordpress” from my URL and joined the big leagues with my very own URL. Yay! Thanks for a great year, all!

Instantly Look Skinnier

Reader Question: I adore your blog —  its like a little treasure I stumbled upon! I have a question! I’m going to a bridal shower and want to look fabulous and skinny because I haven’t seen these girls since high school. Do you have any tips for how to make your self look thinner?

Style Me Thrifty: I get it. The idea of seeing old friends (maybe even frenimies?) from high school can be a little intimidating. Do I still look like that fresh-faced 18 year old teenager that will forever be stuck in their heads? Not a chance!

But can I still wow them with how fab I look as a happy, polished, and confident 29 year old? Heckya!

Maybe you’ve put on a few extra lbs. I call that gravity. You’ve also acquired a crap load of confidence in your post high school years. I want THAT self assured woman to attend this bridal shower. Now all you need are Style Me Thrifty’s top 5 tricks for hiding the imperfections!

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1. Show off your best body parts
   Love your arms? Go sleeveless. Legs? Wear a skirt and nude pumps to elongate your legs. Remember, a bridal shower only lasts 3 hours or so. Don’t waste time by wearing something that doesn’t put your best assets on display.
2. Cinch and conceal!
   I love a girly dress at a bridal shower. Pick a universally flattering A-line shaped dress that is fitted at the waist, flares out over the hips, and hits right above the knee. Try adding a belt to accentuate your tiny waist even more.
3. Make friends with patterns
   Opt for a printed fabric to disguise any lumps. Patterns work like camouflage! And let’s face it, sometimes bridal showers can be a little like war. Take no prisoners, rock a pattern.
4. Get a spray tan
   Desperate times call for desperate measures. A healthy glow makes the body seem more toned. I like Mystic but Versa is good, too.
5. Work photos like a supermodel
   Here are 2 tricks for taking flattering photos: (1) minimize hips by not standing exactly straight towards the camera and (2) put your hand your hip so your upper arm isn’t smushed against your body. When your HS friends look back at these shower photos, they’ll reminisce about how thin you looked!

If you’re embarking on a last minute shopathon, here are two dresses that meet my approval.

(Above: Fire Hardware Detailed Strapless Dress – $46 at Nordstrom. Below: BB Dakota Audri Dress – $100 at Zappos)

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You might also like: Top 10 Tips for Looking Fab at Bridal Shower

Happy Half Birthday to Style Me Thrifty!

I looked at the calendar today and realized, whoa, it’s already September. That means Style Me Thrifty has been part of the blogging world for exactly 6 months. When did that happen? They grow up so fast!

Cheers to half a year of blogging!

It’s been an awesome blur of late-night writing, wacky blog post brainstorming sessions, handing out hot pink business cards and receiving wonderful feedback from my readers (thank you!).

In honor of this mini-milestone, I’d like to share SMT’s 6 most popular posts from the past 6 months, in case you’ve missed any.

Please post/email/Facebook me your style questions!

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Top 6 Posts from the Past 6 Months:

1. Introducing… the Spin Pin! – I should have bought stock in Goody’s Spin Pin. This product is awesome and you girls clearly thought so, too, making this my #1 most visited post! Since writing this, I’ve discovered Mini Spin Pins, so be sure to check those out if you have finer hair.
   
2. What to Wear to a Spring (or Summer) Wedding – One of the best parts about blogging is seeing my friends wearing something that I recommended. Check out Amy below, in that adorable BCBGeneration ruffled dress that I suggested in this post. Flawless, Amy!
3. Nail Stickers?! – The lady at Quiznos asked me about my nail stickers the other day. These things sure turn heads! Have you all tried them yet? I went with the “Check it Out” pattern this past weekend for my trip to Nashville. So fun! (but I’m finding that they grow out within 6 days or so).
4. Top 10 Tips for Looking Fab at a Bridal Shower – Styling my sister for her own bridal shower was the catalyst for starting this blog. This was one of my first posts so I have a soft spot in my heart for it. (And for my adorable sis and mom!)
   
5. DIY Wedding Signs – I’ve gotten a TON of visitors via keyword searches for “wedding signs.” I can tell this is a popular decoration at weddings right now!
   
6. Reader Poll: Thoughts on Backless Shirts? – 47% of you voted in the poll and said backless shirts, like Bachelorette Ashley’s, are super cute and you’d totally bring sexy back. Rock it, girls!
   

Top 10 Tips for Looking Fab at a Bridal Shower

Bridal showers. Fun or a necessary evil?

While I love the idea of a bridal shower (mingling with your girlfriends, eating chicken salad, ooh’ing & ahh’ing over gifts from your registry, etc), I still find them to be an odd tradition. How long will the shower last? How much should I spend on a gift? Will there be alcohol? And most importantly, what should I WEAR?!

Bride with her MOB and MOH -- all looking fashionable behind a huge tissue paper bouquet!

Last weekend, I attended my sister’s bridal shower. As someone who lives for an excuse to shop, I planned out my outfit weeks in advance (dress from Macy’s, black tights, black mini wedge boots from Aldo and a turquoise bracelet from Etsy). But if you’re someone who is unsure what to wear, I present to you my top 10 tips for looking fab (for cheap!) at a bridal shower.

1. When in doubt, err on the side of dressy. No one wants to be the most under dressed gal in the room. You will be surrounded by women and what do women like to do? Compliment each other on their outfits. So give each other something to talk about.
2. On that note… do me a favor and don’t wear jeans. Not even your dark  “dress up” jeans. The bride will not be wearing them and neither should you.
3. Ask yourself: could I wear this outfit on a date? If the answer is yes, you’re off to a good start! A date is all about looking pretty and feminine. You want to give your date the impression that you dressed up but that it didn’t take much effort (even if it took hours!). That is exactly the idea you’re going for at a shower.
4. Wear a dress or skirt. Yes, a nice fitting pair of black pants can look great, too, but when else can you wear a cute dress? Dresses and heels make you feel differently. You stand taller and act more poised. Women of all ages attend showers and one thing we have in common is that we all can rock a dress. Go for it.
5. Do not forget the power of accessories. Accessorize a LBD from your closet (like a wrap dress or sweater dress if it’s winter time) and add on a colorful statement necklace or scarf. You suddenly have yourself a new and thrifty outfit.
6. Do not shop the day before the shower (are you reading this, sis?!). Especially when you’re hungry and wearing a sports bra. If you insist on doing this (ahem), then call a friend to help. A second opinion is invaluable and she may be able to point out items that you overlooked.
7. Wear a fabric and color that will disguise armpit sweat. This might be the most valuable tip!! As a maid-of-honor, I spent the evening giving the bride presents, throwing away wrapping paper, and sweating a lot. My black dress with tank top underneath hid everything, thankgoodness.
8. Resign to the fact that your lipstick will not last the length of this party. You can plan ahead for this by keeping your lipstick in a pocket or invest in longwear lipstick.
   
9. Keep the venue of the shower in mind when picking your final outfit. Generally speaking, most showers are held at someone’s home or at a restaurant. A backyard or picnic shower, however, may mean wearing flats and having sunglasses on hand. Be sure to read the invitation and plan accordingly.
10. Last but not least, do something different with your hair. We all have our go-to styles for the work week, so I challenge you to try something special for a shower. Pictures will be taken!

Those are my top 10 tips… any more tips to add?