The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

Allow Me to Introduce: Team BB

Meet TheBudgetBabe.com Team

I have some exciting news to share with you today - The Budget Babe is officially adding a talented roster of contributing writers to the blog! When I put the word out that I was looking for interns/writers, the response I received was overwhelming, and I'm honored to have such enthusiastic "budget babes" joining the team.

My goal is to bring you even more great budget-friendly content while giving other up-and-coming writers a chance to share their passion and their voice with a wider audience. This was how I envisioned TheBudgetBabe.com back in 2007 when I first started blogging, but as the saying goes, time flies when you're having fun and I just never got around to it - until now.

Please give these ladies a warm welcome and feel free to share your feedback in the comments. And to my readers both old and new, thank you for your support. I promise not to change the essence of TBB, just make it better. —BB

Keep reading to get to know each writer...

Meet Team BB...


Eliza Castro

Name: Eliza Castro
My current home is: Long Island, New York
My favorite designers are: rag & bone designed by Marcus Wainwright and David Neville, Betsey Johnson, Christian Siriano
My personal style is: Classy, girly, with a touch of eccentricity
My biggest fashion splurge ever was: First thing that comes to mind is my splurge at the beginning of summer. Definitely spent more than I should have :-) . Bought myself some new dresses and blouses from Express, Forever 21, and Macy's. Finished off my spree with these cute tan sandals I had to have from Aldo.
My proudest fashion bargain ever was: There have been so many of these. The one that sticks out in my mind right now is from my recent trip to Macy's. I found a Michael Kors dress originally priced at $100 for $29.95 and Guess Jeans for $25.
Words I live by: "Everything happens for a reason." I have lived by these words for as long as I can remember.
Follow me on: Twitter




Kailan Kalina

Name: Kailan Kalina
My current home is: Eugene, Oregon
My favorite designers are: Marc Jacobs, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Rebecca Minkoff, Alice + Olivia.
My personal style is: Casual and simple, but I like to throw in edgier and trendy pieces.
My biggest fashion splurge ever was: Ashe Bowie suede wedge sneakers in peach. They were $195.00…not sure what I was thinking at the time, but I LOVE them.
My proudest fashion bargain was: My black faux leather jacket from Urban Outfitters. It doesn't really look fake, and it was well worth the $39 sale price I paid! I live in my jackets.
Words I live by: In the words of Adele: "Just keep chasing pavements."
Follow me on: Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest




Kate

Name: Kate Wilke
My current home is: Nashville
My favorite designer is: Vera Wang, Michael Kors
My personal style is: Classy with a bit of Western edge
My biggest fashion splurge ever was: A BCBG dark purple ruffle evening gown with an embellished belt
My proudest fashion bargain ever was: Ankle cowboy boots that were originally $100 and I got them for $30! (shoemint)
Words I live by: "Elegance is the only beauty that never fades." -Audrey Hepburn
Follow me on: Pinterest / Tumblr




Allyssa Griffiths

Name: Allyssa Griffiths
My current home is: Ohio
My favorite designer is: Lauren Conrad is my favorite! I've always loved her style and clothing line. It's so feminine and really fits my personality. I also may or may not be obsessed with her new bedding line.
My personal style is: My closet is mostly made up of laid back, casual clothing like leggings, jeans, tank tops and over sized sweaters. Comfort is my main priority, especially when running to classes all day! However, I cannot pass up any piece with lace or ruffles. Lace and ruffles are my weak spots...and pastels.
My biggest fashion splurge ever was: My Coach purse. I tried convincing everyone (and myself) it was an investment. I didn't buy another purse for over a year! Two years later, it still is an every day bag for me.
My proudest fashion bargain ever was: I found a brand new Figleaf dress at my local Goodwill store. The tags were still on it! I paid $1.00 for this beautiful dress, originally $45.00!
Words I live by: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
Follow me on: Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Personal blog




Sami

My name is: Samantha Sandonato
My current home is: Boston
My favorite designer is: I don’t really have one, but I admire BFF’s Gillian and Laura of For Love & Lemons, and designer Amber Skye of Flynn Skye. I’m also a sucker for Miu Miu, and love what Marc Jacobs has done at Louis Vuitton.
My personal style is: Free spirited flower child inspired by wanderlust
My biggest fashion splurge was: Barbour Jacket, totally worth it
My proudest fashion bargain was: My velvet blazer I thrifted at a London market. I think it was a boy’s, but it has the perfect fit and I still get excited about wearing it.
Words I live by: "Everything is energy and that's all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics." —Albert Einstein
Follow me on: Twitter / Instagram / Personal blog / Tumblr




Vanessa

Name: Vanessa Williams Stevenson
My current home is: NYC
My favorite designer is: Alexander Wang
My personal style is: Always changing. I love the color black, skinny jeans, silk tops, boots, leopard print and leather!
My biggest fashion splurge was: My Balenciaga bag
My proudest fashion bargain was: Alexander Wang Prisma tote in calf hair leopard print after months of stalking
Words I live by: Sometimes, less is more.
Follow me on: Twitter / Instagram / Personal blog / Facebook




Molly

Name: Molly Wheaton
My current home is: Connecticut! But my heart is in London.
My favorite designers are: Emma Hill for Mulberry, Guillaume Henry for Carven, and the incredible Stella McCartney
My personal style is: Super casual and simple. I pretty much live in basics and almost all of those are black or grey. I do love the occasional super-feminine dress.
My biggest fashion splurge ever was: Just recently I caved and bought myself a Mulberry Alexa bag! It was a ridiculously incredible deal from Second Time Around and I just had to do it. My mother still doesn't know how much I paid for it. And she never will.
My proudest fashion bargain ever was: Probably my Alexa. Let's just say that even my frugal friends were amazed by what a good deal it was. Other than that, I am QUEEN of Goodwill and have found some absolutely amazing things there for (way) less than a tenner - a cashmere J.Crew cardigan with tags for $4 ranks among the best.
Words I live by: "Don't compare your beginning to someone else's middle" —Jon Acuff. A reminder I always have to give myself!
Follow me on: Pinterest / Instagram / Personal Blog




McKaylee Gregory

Name: McKaylee Gregory
My current home is: Iowa; soon to be Indiana when I get married next year!
My favorite designers are: I love Monique Lhuillier and Vera Wang. I think their styles are the perfect combination of girly and trendy.
My personal style is: Comfortable, classy and feminine. I love skinny jeans, oversized sweaters and anything with pearls and lace!
My biggest fashion splurge ever was: My over-the-shoulder Coach purse. It was so worth it!
My proudest fashion bargain ever was: I live for bargain shopping - it's my hobby! I'd say my best is when I bought Ugg boots and a pair of True Religion jeans - both authentic - for $15 at a local second-hand store!
Words I live by: "Practice loving when loving is hard." It seems so simple but it is something I like to always remind myself.
Follow me on: Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest




Becca Chung

Name: Becca Chung
My current home is:: An original Georgia Peach currently living in Connecticut
My favorite designers are: Rebecca Minkoff, Derek Lam, Parbal Gurung, Isabel Marant, Kate Spade, Thakoon
My personal style is: an eclectic feminine mix of boho chic with classic styles. One thing you can count on is that I am always inclined to throw in some prints - in particular leopard, stripes, polka dots and floral. I just love dressing SUPER feminine- bows, dresses and skirts! I also like to incorporate Asian fashion trends, too!
My biggest fashion splurge ever was: I spend a ridiculous amount on skincare products- but it’s something that was instilled in me at a young age by my mom. I had a set skincare regimen at 13 and I think it paid off because I never have any skin issues!
My proudest fashion bargain ever was: I’ve always loved thrifting because it’s like treasure hunting - you never know what you are going to find! I accomplish the best finds when thrifting with my best friend - one day we found a beautiful pair of vintage Salvatore Ferragamo leather flats for only $4 and a vintage Fendi clutch for $8!
Words I live by: "Delete the negative; accentuate the positive!" —Donna Karan
Follow me on: Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest / Personal Blog
Comments
Awesome!! Can't wait to see what you guys come up with. :-)
#1 Broke And Beautiful (Homepage) on 2013-08-19 17:59 (Reply)
Big welcome to your new team! They sound like great girls and as a long time TBB reader, I'm looking forward to their posts!
#2 MizzJ (Homepage) on 2013-08-20 01:53 (Reply)
welcome girls!!! can't wait to see waht is coming!
#3 Robin on 2013-08-20 10:06 (Reply)
What an great group of ladies! Looking forward to reading all of your posts!
#4 Monica on 2013-08-20 12:11 (Reply)
welcome ladies! looking forward to reading some of your awesome posts!
#5 Niki @ Cheapalicious (Homepage) on 2013-08-20 12:24 (Reply)
This is awesome. Can't wait to see what they have to contribute.
#6 MAC (Homepage) on 2013-08-21 09:35 (Reply)
Nice words of wisdom.
#7 Maggie on 2013-08-27 00:54 (Reply)
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