So you’ll have to excuse me for being lazy and posting Instgram pics but I wasn’t in a picture editing mood. I did however want to stop by and show/confess to you about my shopping habits as of lately. I have been a SHOP-O-HOLIC the last few weeks. My frugal bank executive mother has been having a heart attack every time she hears about one of of my shopping excursions. Now don’t worry, I’m still a cheap diva at heart and I don’t splurge too much when it comes to price. I have just been a little spend happy with how much I’ve been buying. To my credit I did get the career opportunity of my dreams this year that came along with a hefty raise.
Not bragging, just proud. YOLO right?
Did I really just say YOYO?
I got that super cute gold knotted Dream necklace you see above the the HSN outlet in Florida while I was there for my bestie’s baby shower. My sister is a stylist for HSN and friends and family get an extra 30%, so a trip there is a must every time I go home. My niece actually picked it out first and I loved it so much I decided to get us both one. I mean for $8 why not. See…told ya.
Cheap Diva is still alive and well. Oh and the jacket I’m wearing this pic was on clearance at TJmaxx for $7…Geez I’ve shopped a lot. Moving on.
That sexy bauble you see before you is another HSN find. I’m so obsessed with this Rock and Republic ring that I can’t stand it! For someone who has tiny Skeletor fingers I’m a sucker for a chunky ring. I wasn’t going to put it back in the case for $9 bucks!
Now you know I just wouldn’t be true to who I am if a post about overspending didn’t include shoes. I have been on a sneaker kick since I’ve moved to Atlanta and these were calling my name. There is this great little store in Midtown called Wish that has a shoe dungeon! Well not really but that’s what I’m going to call it because it makes me smile. The upper half of the store is all clothes but the lower level is dark and mysterious and filled with shoes. Hahahah I write about shoes like I’m writing porn or something. Those Nike’s were on sale 50% off $150 because they were the last pair and a size 5 1/2. Having baby feet has its perks.
So getting my Birchbox every month is sort of a ritual for me. Kinda like Christmas it requires special food and drink to celebrate. I usually celebrate opening mine with a good glass of Pino and some yummy olives.
I know. I’m fancy and stuff.
The only sucky is that I’ve noticed as Birchbox gets more and more popular the box gets more and more MEH. I mean how many nail polishes can one girl have? And SILVER eyeliner? I’ve signed up for the IPSY box and I’m hoping that they are better.
If I’m being true to my splurging confession there a re a lot more goodies that I have to share with you but I’ll save that for next time.
Does anyone else want to submit a complaint to Mother Natures’s customer service department? Thirty nine degrees tonight??? Seriously? I mean it was 29 degrees here in Atlanta last night and it’s almost April for goodness sake! I am willing spring to come by getting back into my workout routine and organizing my spring wardrobe.
Last September I scored this awesome cream and coral studded dress at a random pop up boutique booth at a wine tasting festival in Nashville. It was the last day of the event and the end of the season so everything was marked down to super cheap prices.
Genius idea right? Get everybody all schnockered and put cute dresses in front of them. Why didn’t I think of that? Since then this dress has just been chilling in my closet with the tags on it saying “Wear my Riley! Wear Me!”
EEEEeeeeeeeeeh!
I just got the heebie jeebies. How creepy would that be if my clothes and shoes started actually talking to me? My closet may be my place of Zen but even for me that’s pushing the lines of loony bin time. Any-hoozle-beez. My latest workout obsession has been this Josh Axe BurstFit DVD Series.
I love it because it has seven different 20 minute full body workouts that you can do at home and all you need is a pair of 3-5 lbs weights (I got my weights at Ross for $6.99).
It also comes with a workout and meal plan complete with healthy recipes so its super easy to follow! I made the chia seed pudding and it was delish! Welp I’m off for some Real Housewives of Atlanta! Cheers to getting ready for bathing suit season!
For the longest time I was using a Chanel scrub that I was in love with but it seems like my face gets used to products every few years and they lose their effect. Time to switch things up! I went to an Aveda salon in Nashville and I figured that if it was good enough for my hair then it should be good enough for my skin. I was right!!! I love how the exfoliating beads are super gentle and my face doesn’t feel stripped after using it.
When it comes to my hair I am SUPER picky about the products I use. In fact there are only a few things that I will spend serious money on…
Jeans.
Shoes.
Hair.
I have been blessed cursed with curly frizzy Puerto Rican hair that has been tortured with over possessing and dying over the years. I’m trying to grow out my natural curls and channel my inner Beyonce but its been a slow process. Whenever I try and let the curls go I look more like Rick James. So until it gets a little longer I have to stick with my flat iron, weave and good hair products. This Avave oil is the bomb.com! It doesn’t leave an oily film and my locks feel super soft after using it. I wouldn’t recommend using on dry hair though. I like to rub in a dollop before I sit under the dryer.
#OBSESSED! Whenever I’m doing something important and I know I’m going to be in front of a camera of some sort I’m all about the primer/concealer/foundation combo but for everyday that’s just too much work. I got a sample of this BB cream in my Birchbox a few months back and fell in love. Not to mention that little sample lasted forever! The coverage I get from this stuff is so awesome and the formula isn’t greasy like some BB creams. Pretty neat that it’s a one size fits all type of shade. This way when I get my tan on in the summer I don’t have to switch up my products.
I must admit that I only discovered the magic of bronzer a few years ago. So being the bronzer novice that I am I’m pretty cheap when buying it. Whenever I’m in Kroger I always check out the clearance section for hidden goodies and that’s where I found this stuff. Hence the package looking all busted.
For half off I’m game! I haven’t tried it yet because I’m trying to use up the last bits of the other one I bought. I’ve always heard great things about Physician’s Formula so I’m optimistic. I’ll let ya know how it goes. I’m off for a run peeps. Happy Sunday!!!
Music is the lyrical heartbeat of my soul.
My stories are beautifully illustrated with with its sound.
When life gets too hard for truth my words may fail, but the melodies speak the truth that my mouth cannot.
It’s nothing short of amazing when someone speaks that language too.
The world as I have known it has been filled with Black and White.
Impenetrable lines with no chance of changing shade.
Here’s to crossing the line, taking the leap of faith and adding a little Grey.
Well hi again!!! Sorry its been so long but I’ve been super busy, and my site as you can see got a little makeover! Whatcha think? I’m so in love with it!!! Feel free to click around and check out all the new little do-dads that have been added. I really have to thank my girl Tawsha Connell for putting my vision to life. She is so incredibly talented and understands “Riley Speak” like an experienced linguist who is fluent in Mumbo Jumbo. Tawsha, YOU ROCK MY SOCKS!!! Thank you for everything!
For those of you that have followed my little corner of the world since the start your probably wondering what happened to “Cheap Diva”. Don’t worry, I’ll still be posting my fabulous cheap finds. I’m just branching out a little bit. I really wanted to blog sooner because I have so many goodies that I want to share, but my little website isn’t the only thing in my life that’s been revamped. Insert drum roll here…..
I”M MOVING TO ATLANTA!!!!!!
YEP! I’m getting on the roller coaster ride that is my life once more and moving to the big city to be a Co-Host at Power 96.1 with Scotty Kay. Honestly this move was not planned at all. I had it in my head that Nashville was going to be my last stop but as always, God has his plan for me and I am so very blessed. Actually blessed doesn’t even begin to cover it. This is the kind of job that I started radio for. Its so surreal. So crazy. Such a dream opportunity. Ok quick somebody pinch me! No wait don’t because if this is a dream I don’t want to wake up!
I’ll be blogging more about my new journey but for now I wanna show you a few of my favorite things.
“Cinderella proved that a new pair of shoes can change your life.” ~ Pinterest
“A thing of beauty is a joy for ever.” ~ John Keats
“The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize.” ~ Steel Magnolias
“Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together.” ~ Elizabeth Taylor
“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” ~ Rachel Zoe
“Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”~ Marilyn Monroe
“A woman who doesn’t wear perfume has no future.” ~ Coco Chanel
When you look at that picture what do you see? If you follow this blog at all you may be familiar with that girl. If you just so happened to stumble across my little corner of the world at random today then hello! That image you see above is me… R!LEY COUTURE or as very few know me anymore Raquel Segarra.
The reason I ask you what you see when you look at that picture whether you are familiar with me or not, is because I have been questioning what others see in me quite often lately. For me that image is deceiving. It covers hurt, anxiety and fear. I suppose in times of turmoil its a natural reaction for me to look inward and criticize. Mind you I was not always this way. Once upon a time I was so very sure that I was such a master of my own universe that the idea of seeing past the end of my own nose was as foreign as the idea of unicorns existing among us. I was confident, arrogant and self serving. Now before you decide to click away from this post thinking its nothing more than a pity party just bare with me. A point is coming I promise.
In the image you see above the makeup is abundant, the eyelashes are false, and the hair is my go-to clip in weave. Does this make me fake? Or is this just a better representation of what I want my image to be? Be the best self you can be is what all self help gurus tell us right? Looking even further that girl looks joyous, excited and put together. It is not to say that I am never those things but that picture was taken meres month ago and in this moment I can say that I honestly don’t feel that way. Enter the struggle between all that is my public persona and my personal life. But one thing I have always enjoyed about the cross pollination between the two is my ability to be open and share to the point of TMI. Someone described me the other day as having a wall. This bothered me to my core. Me, the girl that believes in fairy tales and nine times out of ten over shares has a WALL?
Again…. a noteworthy point is coming.
This season of life has presented me with a set of challenges that I have not yet experienced to this level. Plainly put my health has not been good. I am scared and have no answers as of yet. I have been trying to put on a brave face and hide it as much as I can from those that solely know my public persona. Its my job to entertain and that has always been my joy. When I am behind a microphone your smile is my sole purpose. Changing your day in a positive way is the goal.
Who am I without that?
But now my brave front seems to be seeping into my real life presenting itself as a wall. Even as I type this I think why is it so hard for me to openly admit that here? That I am human and I may possibly be sick? Here, in this place where I have shared everything. My heartbreaks and my triumphs. My highest and lowest moments. I suppose its because its beyond my control.
Or is it?
Self help gurus also often say that attitude is everything. More than that my faith tells me that all things are possible with God. Told ya I had a point…
Here it is.
I was talking to my sister about this yesterday and after a hour long inspirational conversation she sent me this…
If you looked at the length of the video at decided to not watch it all the way through don’t feel bad. Even though my sister sent it to me as a beacon of hope I did the same thing at first. But today, I decided after a day of worry that I would commit to watching it and receiving its message.
After nearly seven years of living in Tennessee something that I swore I would NEVER do has happened.
I have gone Camo.
Since the weather has decided to go all arctic on us comfy sweatshirts have been my thing. Can’t get enough of them. Target isn’t normally my go-to place when I’m treasure hunting but I was killing time while waiting for my appointment to get my vagina zapped with a laser. I’m getting laser hair removal but that’s a story for another time.
I only had about ten minutes so I figured I would just would just quickly graze through the clearance section. Couple together my disdain for camo and my lack of time, I almost skipped right over this one. For whatever reason I decided to give it a little look-see and was pleasantly surprised to discover that the front fabric is a silky/rayon. Ok, starting to forgive this little shirt for being camouflage. It’s was kinda like a Little Shirt That Could situation. Then I saw the price and it was off to the register.
I got an ever better deal than that because I signed up for Target’s reward program that gives you 5% off your purchases. It’s a debit card that comes right out of your bank account so it’s not like having another credit card to worry about. Thinking i’ll be shopping in Target more often now.
Sorry I’ve been MIA for a few weeks. I wish I could say that the reason for my absence is that I have been trying to save money before my wallet gets a workout for Christmas. Sadly that’s not the case.
A few weeks ago I was hosting an acoustic performance with the boys from The Neighbourhood and we got onto the topic of women’s shoes. I mean, I was the one doing the interviewing so you kinda can’t be surprised. To my credit the original question came from a listener that asked them what their greatest fear was and one of the responses was to be in a room full of women wearing bad shoes. You know I had to go further with this one…
Me: “Well what’s your idea of a bad shoes on a woman?”
This made me giggle because immediately after he said that he scanned the room for anyone wearing said horrible wedge sneakers. Little did he know that I own a pair of wedge sneakers that I fondly call my “I Kill You Shoes”. Ironic and funny.
Just FYI I really like the guys from the Neighbourhood and their song….Even if they don’t agree with my taste in shoes.
Back to the furry wedgies…I got them on Ebay for $25.00 with shipping. Now let’s see if I can stop shopping for myself until after the holidays. Doubt it but we’ll see.
There other day my friend Kate and I had a conversation about how my shoes were overtaking my closet and how I should probably stop buying them. She thinks I have a problem. I told her it was less of a problem and more of a passion. Shoes are my foot art. Immediately after that conversation I took a field trip to Ross and came home with those ladies.
Hi. I’m R!LEY and shoes are my crack.
Random observation here…When I was a kid my favorite fairy tale was Cinderella. When I was in my early twenties I was obsessed with Sex and The City (what girl wasn’t right). So you see, ITS NOT MY FAULT. My shoe addiction was predestined. Or at least that’s what I’m going to tell myself so I can sleep at night when I literally become like the old woman living in her shoe. Stole that line from Carrie Bradshaw. I want to be her when I grow up.
Damn I’m rambling. Back to the shoes.
LOVE the sleek detail! If you notice the picture to the bottom right you will see why I couldn’t pass these up. Under $30 dollars for Guess ankle booties that retail for $149.00?? It would be an insult to the shoe gods to walk away from these.
WOW.
I just re-read that last sentence and realized just how far into my addition I am. 🙂
It’s been almost year that I’ve been in Nashville and its hard not to let an amazing city like this get into your heart. If you have been reading this blog for any length of time you know that the way to my heart is through shoes. So now that I’m becoming more and more about Nashvegas I have been having a wicked shoe craving for some brown cowgirl boots for Fall.
I see girls walking around downtown and envy their confidence of rocking straight cowgirl kicks with flowy dresses and cute little shorts but I have yet to buy a full on pair of them. There was that one pair of grey vintage Capezios I bought on Ebay, but to be honest they sit in my closet waiting for me to find the perfect outfit for them. Florida girl over here doesn’t know how to properly accessorize the cowgirl boot. YET. Getting there though.
I’m taking it slow with these braided ankle booties. Country Chic for $23.99 is easier to deal with until I get up the gusto to spend the the $350 ones that I really want.
