My Go To Outfit

My sweet friend Hayley over at Tiny Twig is doing an awesome 31 day series called The No Brainer Wardrobe. Wanna see my "go to outfit" and get some tips on how to build that wardrobe of yours? Head over to the Tiny Twig! xo

Looks I'm Lovin'

stacked

Fall is quickly becoming my favorite time of year. I'm currently working on 2 Fall bible studies and my Fall accessories. There are lots of layers in both what I'm learning about myself through the studies and what I'm piling on due to a drop in temps. 

Beaded bracelets for stacking are being made at night and every time I hit an estate sale or thrift store the accessories come first. I've scored some great pieces all under $5.00.

Ombre & Beads

theirs

mine for $0.25 (i'll be adding layers for sure)

Chains & Stripes:

theirs

mine for $2.99

Clutches & Color

theirs

mine for $2.95

I am a firm believer that you can be a good steward of the monies God has blessed you with and still look like a million bucks! Seriously?  Why do people get rid of such treasures? xo

Bang. Bang.

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Why do brunettes with bold bangs look so darn chic? And why can't I pull this off?

Fabulous Finds

vest $7.00

So I got to thinkin'...if I just show you all the great items I scored in Iowa at the resale/thrift shops, that would just be bragging. But if I showed you how they could go from Summer into Fall and Winter, that could be helpful and fun.

The loot:

 orange flouncy mini-skirt - $6.00

sequin shorts - $16.00 (with original tags still on)

leopard pony hair kitten heels - $3.95

I also scored a pair of men's army green khakis for $2.95. They're slouchy and wonderful. I can't wait to wear them with the leopard heels. Oh baby.  My reason for showing you this is two fold. One - you can get a great wardrobe at thrift stores and places like Plato's Closet. Don't be afraid to shop those stores and DON'T be afraid to dig! Two - your summer items can carry you into Fall and beyond. Don't pack up one seasons complete wardrobe when another rolls around. They can merge quite nicely.

SUMMER: add a white or heather grey tank and you're in business.

FALL: a bit of gypsy glamour

WINTER: add a leopard scarf and this little number is both comfy and cute.

As for the sequin shorts...

WORK:

DATE NIGHT: side note - I scored that Theory tuxedo jacket at the thrift store for $3.95.

CASUAL: add black tights and bam, you're good to go.

A little thrifting goes a long way! PS - it's also a form of recycling. wink, wink. xo

Snip, Snip, Snap!

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Confession...I'm kind of in love with the army vest. And since, I don't see it cooling off in Texas anytime soon, I figure this pieces is a gonna be a wardrobe staple come Fall. However, at prices soaring into the hundies ($100) for one of these babies, I also didn't see it making it's way into my closet anytime soon. So I've been on the hunt for months at the thrift stores for an army jacket that I can snip into a creation of my own. Guess what??? Finally found one for $3.00.

I snipped off her little arms, pressed, pinned, stitched and voila...my perfect (and thrifty) Fall vest.

 (please excuse my very blurry and oh so crappy images.)

Check out Miss Kelly takin' it to a whole new level by layering it with a jacket. Sooo cool.

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Tee hee hee...I love it when things turn out so unexpectedly well. Yay! The hubs will be taking Senior photos of my SIL next week, hopefully I can get him to snap a few decent one of me in the vest while he's at it. (wink. wink.) xo

20, 30, 40.

Did you know that the absolute best time to shop for your Fall/Winter gear is Summer? There are deals out the yang. Don't believe me?  Guess how much I paid for the shoes above?

$20.00 (from $50.00)

$30.00 (from $200.00)

$40.00 (from $75.00)

I'll let you in on another little secret...Stein Mart. Serious. If you have one near you - GO! Their clothes aren't really for me, but their accessories are always great, with to-die-for prices too. Plus they do coupons on their sale stuff. Who does that? Happy shopping! xo

Summer Accessories

I've been doing some Estate Sale shopping lately. More on that next week. Anyway, I came across this stellar clutch for $1.00 - can't pass that up. It's the perfect addition to my summer accessory line-up...

*neutral heels that go with everything
*black clutch
*straw hat for pool time and bad hair days
*vintage beaded necklaces
*80's beaded belt - the perfect accessory for jeans and a tee

Gosh, looking at these images I can't help but think of Fall - minus the hat. I love a multi-faceted wardrobe. xo

Weekly Challenge: Chronicle Mommy Wear

Here goes nothing... I had every intention of showing you a week's worth of outfits. Why? Because I see all these awesome ladies showing what they wear on a daily basis and get so inspired by them. However, the reality is that only about 30% of their amazing wardrobe is practical for me - a mommy of two. I want to wear heels and look cute all the time but that is just not the season of life I'm in right now. I wanted to show you all the stuff I wear, thinking it might inspire you - colors, mixes, accessories, etc. But, the more I thought about it and prayed about it, the more I realized that I just wanted you all to think I was cute and had good style. Selfish ambition and vain conceit are so ugly. 

It's my goal, and desire, to only share things with you that would inspire or stir in you a desire to create. So, if and when I do share my daily wardrobe, I promise it will come from a place of pure intentions - hoping that we can all feel beautiful without makeup, jewelry and heels. While it works for a lot of beautiful ladies out there, it doesn't fit my lifestyle right now and it might not fit yours. Plain and simple. Here's to the Mommies out there rolling around at the park with their littles in tennis shoes, flip flops and t-shirts. You are beautiful!

Funny side note - on Tuesday Jude, my oldest, asked me, "Mommy, why do you want to look all pretty?" What? I had on zero make-up and hadn't washed or styled my hair that day. My reply, "I want to look pretty for your Daddy. What makes you think I want to look pretty today?" Jude: "Because you have on that t-shirt and those necklaces and these shorts." Ha!  Yes, my t-shirt had beading, my necklaces were gold and my shorts...well, they were seer-sucker. How he saw that as wanting to be pretty I have no idea, but I love him for it. Ahhh...out of the mouths of babes. This Mom gig is so entertaining sometimes.

the "pretty" t-shirt

I hope your weekend if full of pretty and lots of sweet, random compliments. xo

Raven + Lily

For my birthday last year, my Mother-in-law gave me an amazing pair of leather feather earrings. They are amazing - I wear them all the time. I promised I would share a bit about the company that makes them because their story is amazing. So...better late than never. Check out Raven + Lily. It's not often that I promote products on my blog. But Raven + Lily is special. They are empowering women thru design/micro-enterpise training, thus giving them a future and hope for tomorrow.

Their blog is amazing too. It keeps you up to date with all that they are doing and the stories of the women they are empowering. They are currently undergoing some changes with their online shop page. Be patient with them. Their stuff is worth the wait. And if you live in LA, check out their new store. xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Thrifted Goodness

Thrift stores...they're my favorite kind of department store - next to estate sales. I love finding old pieces that have a history and are one of a kind. But when I find items on sale at the thrift store, be still my heart. Last week I promised that I would show you some lovelies that others had donated and I joyfully recycled. Here's my booty for all of $40.00. What did I score? Oh my, a treasure trove of endless possibilities for my Spring/Summer wardrobe and a flawless diamond for Fall/Winter 2011.

The shirts that will be worn with skinny jeans and sandals...

The bottoms - a black maxi-skirt with pockets, a little lace number, a grey floppy mini and a tweed for Fall.

The Spring Jacket - that longs for deep v-tees and tanks.

And the flawless diamond...Vintage Dior for $3.93. My heart was beating so fast when I saw this baby I felt like I was in Edgar Allen Poe's The Tell Tale Heart.

This was by far the most successful shopping spree I've ever had at my local thrift store. And to think I just went in for some shorts. I am so grateful that people donate their clothes for others to enjoy. xo

PS - I found a pair of shorts too. JCrew Bermuda for $1.97.