Sometimes I get a real case of the “blahs.” As in, “Blah. My hair isn’t cute,” or “Blah, I keep wearing the same outfits.” Sometimes, I remedy my “blahs,” by shopping. But let’s be honest, that’s not always the most responsible (or economical) way to cure the “blahs.” Since I’m constantly thinking of fashionable new ways to update my look and keep my image fresh and interesting, I’ve developed my five favorite ways to cure the “blahs.” These are some of my most tried and true ways to mix-up your look without causing any long-term damage. And by long-term damage, I’m referencing that time you cut your hair in really short choppy layers and then had to wait about three years for it to grow out. Oh wait, that was me. And those years were referred to as my mom hair cut years. So avoid any potentially hazardous haircuts (or worse) and try one of these five ways to change your look!

5) Sunglasses
Sunglasses are, hands down, my favorite accessory. I never leave home without one or five pairs. They’re great because they have the ability to give the same outfit an entirely different look. Take a black t-shirt and jeans, for example. An active pair could make you look sporty. Over-sized black glasses could give you serious glam. White glasses could help you stand out in a crowd and put off an uber-trendy vibe. The best news is, you can find a pair of sunglasses within your price range. Target has a number of styles for around $15 while you can stop by Neimans and invest in a pair of stunning Versace’s for $300. Point being: you can change your look for as little or as much as you want with a pair of great shades.

4) Make-Up
Some people get into a make-up routine and wear the same colors applied in the same way every day. That’s great…until you get sick of it. An easy, affordable way to mix-up your look is to play with your make-up. Try out some new lashes (MAC’s are great), a glam eyeliner or a bold lip color to really make a statement. For example, if you don’t wear any eyeliner, adding a sleek swipe of black liquid liner will add instant “diva” to your look. And, if you normally wear a lip gloss, pick out a matte lipstick to try instead. But beware—only pick one thing to alter at once, you don’t want to end up looking like a clown. The best part of this blah-blaster is that most people won’t be able to pinpoint what’s different about you—yet they’ll know something has changed!

3) Belt It!
In my book, belts are an underrated accessory. Just last week I was traveling with a colleague who was looking to belt her outfit. By taking a different approach and wearing her belt over her entire outfit, she created a look she didn’t think was attainable! Belts are great for adding a splash of color to an outfit, changing the shape of a look or creating a new focal point. To add a splash of color, opt for a brightly colored belt or a patterned design. I love my zebra print belt for adding interest to boring outfits. To change the shape, try belting an outfit around your natural waits or higher. And to create a new focal point, opt for a belt with an elaborate buckle.

2) Sassy Ponytail
If you’re like a lot of girls, you probably get into a rut of wearing your hair in a similar way every day. And I’ll bet the ponytail is the go-to hairstyle if you’re running behind or need a quick, sloppy fix. The ponytail, however, should get more credit than it does. When styled correctly, a simple ponytail can take your look from so-so to sassy! Some of my favorite nights out on the town were spent rocking ponytails—and I didn’t pull my hair up because I ran out of time, I pulled my hair back because it gave me a fun edge that I couldn’t achieve with my normal hairstyle. For something fun, try keeping the ponytail piecey with product and spray or wrap a piece of hair around the band for a sleek finish.

1) A Good Spray Tan
Sometimes you have to fake it ‘till you make it. And getting an island glow from the comfort of your home is a great way to change up your look without an expensive vacation or harmful rays. Plus, with your gorgeous new glow, you might even be inspired to wear something with a shorter hemline to show off your toned legs, or pick something out in a color you wouldn’t normally pair with pasty skin. Try a MysticTan at your local tanning salon if you want to avoid the application process. But for an at-home application that’s close to a glow you could snag in St. Tropez, check out Antidote Skin Care’s line of sunless tanning products.

I love when my fans send me great ideas for blog postings! One of my fans just happens to be my boss. And my boss just happens to be a very stylish, fashion-forward lady. Mix that with the fact that we’re both through-the-roof hyper, and that’s probably why we get along so well (and why there’s generally high-pitched shrieking and 80’s music coming from our workspace).

Anyway, last week my boss went on vacation with her family to the warm coast of Florida. About half way through her week in the sun, I received an email from her with a subject line that read, “What’s a girl to do?” The email contained a picture of her sporting an adorable sundress and a brown hobo bag. But there was a twist. You see, that brown hobo bag wasn’t a brown hobo bag at all. It was another sundress in disguise. It turns out that she’d forgotten to pack an appropriate purse in the midst of getting her two toddlers vacation-ready.

Us busy gals often find ourselves in situations where we need to be resourceful—especially if being fashionable is at stake. To inspire you to get creative, I want to share my boss’s craftiness with you. It may help you the next time you find yourself without the perfect purse.

Here’s the picture I received from my boss. She just looks like your typical, chic girl on the beach. Adorable, right?

And that purse looks totally normal, right? Wrong. It actually took a great deal of construction. She started out with your average, brown sundress.

Then she tied one end in a knot.

After that, she flipped the dress inside out so that the knot was on the inside. She fluffed it up and shaped it with her hands to form the perfect hobo shape.

Then she threw her goods into her new makeshift bag and joined her family for a fun night out in Florida.

It’s no Prada or Fendi, but it's a fashionable fix that gets the job done! In short, it's fabulous. The Pretty and Poor girl is fashionable—always. She’s crafty, smart and can figure her way out of almost any situation. So the next time you’re stuck in the midst of a fashion fiasco, stay calm, stay cool and maybe, just maybe, think about turning a purse into a dress.

Not too many self-respecting girls would walk into a hair salon on the day of their best friend’s wedding and say, “Make me look like Lady GaGa,” to the stylist. I’m obviously in the minority because that’s exactly what I did this past Saturday. Now, it’s not fair to say I looked exactly like Lady GaGa, after all, I wasn’t allowed to wear my leotard, mask and over-the-knee boots to the wedding. But my hair had GaGa-esque inspiration that was funky, fun and fabulous. And that got me thinking: are there ways to channel Lady Gaga’s unique style without the excess feathers, frills and fishnets? I believe there is! Check out my interpretation of GaGa’s eccentric style.

Lady GaGa wears a lot of lace and a lot of leather (and Lace and Leather is the name of a Britney Spears song on the Circus album…so it’s awesome). And while the average fashionista might not be able to pull off lace and leather together, it’s important to note that both lace and leather are very trendy right now. For example, take the red lace dress (equipped with mask and crown) that Lady GaGa wore at the MTV Video Music Awards. It was over-the-top because of the mask, crown and see-through quality. However, lace dresses (in general) are a hot item for fall.

Take this adorable Theory dress, for example. It’s versatile, classic and channels the lace of Lady GaGa’s red number.

This Milly dress is also a wearable version of Lady GaGa’s red lace dress. It’s adorablely tailored and even complete with some ruffles and frills.

And if you want that badass, leather look that Lady GaGa often rocks, try a pair of over-the-knee boots for fall. Pair them with leggings, tights and sweater dresses for a conservative yet chic look. I like this pair by Candela.

Then we get to hair and make-up. Lady GaGa is generally noticeable by her dark, dramatic eye make-up. If you want a style that’s almost like hers, use a liquid black eyeliner and false lashes. MAC’s liner and lashes are some of my favorites for recreating this look. Check them out for yourself here. And visit your local MAC store for a lash application.

On the other hand, there’s hair. When it comes to Lady GaGa’s hair, platinum blonde reigns supreme. But any style that’s a little over-the-top and full of volume will work. Check out my style from the wedding this weekend. Does it remind you of GaGa’s hair at the VMAs?

And the last element to Lady GaGa's fearless style? Confidence. She needs a ton of it to pull of her looks-- and you will too if you want to appear as in control as she does. While I couldn't dress like Lady GaGa every day, I admire her willingness to take fashion risks and just dance to her own beat.

Making your own clothes is the ultimate fashion statement. Especially if those clothes have a message. Driving home today I came across this hip motorcyclist with a homemade shirt. It really speaks...

That's right, "Free T.I." Of all the controversial topics you could have made a shirt about, you choose to break out a Sharpie marker in support of freeing a rapper from jail. Now that's do-it-yourself fashion at it's finest.