Touring the Jelly Belly Bean Factory...

 The other day the hubby, kids, in-laws & I all loaded up to go tour the Jelly Belly Bean Factory. I had already decided I was wearing my new(to me) Gap skinny jeans, but went through a few tops before I decided on the green. The tee is just a plain shirt from Target (seriously, place is like my second home) that I picked up on clearance & the tweed blazer is a thrift find. The jeans are what I'm crazy in love with though. Gap skinny jeans, like new, for (drum roll please) $2.75?! I may just wear them everyday now. The outfit was great for getting a little tour of the factory, which is free by the way, and stuffing myself with jelly beans. I'd definitely recommend it if you're in the area looking for something inexpensive to do and want some sugar in your life. It's impossible to walk out of there without buying some jelly beans! My new favorites are the dark chocolate covered orange jelly beans.... mmmm....

Jeans- 'Out of the Closet' thrift store, $2.75

Tee- Target clearance, $3

Tweed- thrift find, $4.50

Bag- bought from a friend, $50

Shoes- H&M eons ago, $12

Necklace- $10, via instagram 

Animal Print!

See the necklace? Obsessed

I absolutely adore animal prints. Cheetah, leopard, giraffe, zebra...you name it, I most likely own something with that print on it. This top is actually a (very short to me) Forever 21 dress I purchased from the thrift store. Seeing as I'm a mom, which involves a lot of bending, squatting, & playing, it wasn't practical as a dress to me. However, it makes an adorable tunic with leggings! These may be my favorite bottom half's right now. They're stretchy, warm and almost as comfortable as my yoga pants. Score one for Walmart. The dress was missing the belt that originally came with it, but I just added the brown belt that came with a Target dress. The scarf is a print, but the colors go so well with the top that it almost seemed like they were just meant to go together!

hardcore cheesin' 

Top- Forever 21, thrifted, $4.50

Scarf- Target, $10

Leggings- Walmart, $11

Flats- Old Navy, $10

Necklace- Old Navy, $10 (I think)

Belt- Target, came with dress, $12

Earrings- Dollar Store, $1

Old Navy

The other day I hit up Old Navy searching for some new Fall pieces. I knew I wanted to grab one of their sweatshirts (those things are so soft!), but I was looking for something to go with it. I found this skirt in the clearance section for only $10! The boots I picked up from Wet Seal back in February. Other then the boots, the entire outfit is from Old Navy though. Surprising, right? They have some really cute jewelry now! I may have worn this gold necklace with just about everything lately..

the braid...great lazy girl style

 

                   

Skirt- Old Navy, $10.98

Sweatshirt- Old Navy, $15

Necklace- Old Navy, $10 (I think)

Bracelets- Old Navy, $6.95 (pack of gold & colored bangles)

Boots- Wet Seal, $19

Bag- Target, from 2008

Winterizing a Maxi

Basic summer wear 

Maxi dresses have to be one of the most comfortable pieces of clothing on the market now. I was convinced, for the longest time, that I was too short to wear them. Glad I changed my mind & started wearing them! I picked up this dress from Walmart back in April for $12 or $13. I love how bright and colorful it is, however it's a little too thin to wear as is during the fall. So, I needed to work on it a bit. The addition of a belted sweater, scarf & boots made it perfect for late September and if I choose to wear this in the winter, I'll just add a jacket too. It's an easy & fun way to make your warm weather wardrobe work for the colder months. :)

Cold weather ready!

I've had the sweater for years. I think someone gave it to me when they cleaned out their closet. (Score for me!) The earrings were picked up from the dollar store! How crazy is that?! They actually have some weight to them as well, which I love, but not so much they pull on my ears. The scarf is from Walgreens...some of my favorite accessories are found at pretty random stores. Always worth a shot to browse & see if they have anything good. 

Dress- Walmart, $13

Sweater- Gift

Belt- Kohl's, came with shorts, $12

Scarf- Walgreens, $6

Earrings- Dollar Store, $1

Casual

Casual by sandee-lowe-booth featuring heel ankle booties

By Malene Birger jersey shirt
$215 - bymalenebirger.com

Paige Denim cuffing skinny jeans
$415 - brownsfashion.com

Heel ankle booties
$40 - fashionunion.com

Hobo tote
49sqmi.com

J Crew pave necklace
jcrew.com

Sunglasses
ahalife.com

Audrey Inspired

Audrey Hepburn is one of my favorite style icons. She was always so put together and classy. I felt like I needed a croissant and to visit Tiffany & Co in this outfit, although this is no lbd. I'll think of it like the day version... 

The pants & top are both from the clearance section of TJ Maxx. Love that store! They always have such fun clothes there. The last time I was browsing I found a Kate Spade jacket...alas, it was $150 & a size 2, so that was a definite no-go. I did sigh a little lot as I walked away. The top *almost* made up for it as it's a peplum that actually fits. I normally just can't find any that I like, but this one was nice and loose. I'm in love with the pants. They're actually supposed to hit mid-calf, however I'm not that tall and have short legs. But I love that they hit at the ankle on me! The necklace is my new favorite. I'm just drawn to sparkle and it was only $10!! I bought this & 2 others in different colors from a woman on Instagram. I think she was just selling out of her own collection, so it is thrifted. 

Top- TJ Maxx, $10

Pants- TJ Maxx, $13

Shoes- Old Navy

Sunnies- Target, $12

Necklace- Instagram via @myjewelrybox1, $10

Bracelets- cuff watch, Target, $8.48; fish, Target, $12; blue & gold, Polka Dots of Savannah,GA, $18 (Old Navy has a similar one right now) 

Red Skinny Jeans

  To preface this post, I am an Auburn University fan. Orange & blue, War Eagle, etc... I did wear this on an AU game day, but I was cheering for them from home. (They totally won too!) Anyway, I love wearing red + black (UGA did something right with picking these colors. ;)) together. It's just so cute. The top is from TJ Maxx, but was normally priced at $12. The jeans were on clearance from Sear's, Kardashian Kollection. The first few times I say skinny jeans, I *hated* them. I thought only super thin women could wear them. I was so wrong! The right cut just has to be purchased...and you may have to be prepared to not breathe. Kidding! I normally end up buying a size up in skinnies so that isn't an issue. However, I would not recommend overindulging on fries or fro yo while wearing them. I follow the idea that if the bottom is form fitting, the top should be loose. The bag I'm in love with! I bought it from a friend on Facebook. Gotta love messaging & Paypal! :)

Top- TJ Maxx, $12
Skinny Jeans- Sears, $7
Wedges- Target, $5.98
Bracelets- black inifity, thrifted, $1; Yurman inspired cuff, gift; Yurman inspired smaller cuff, Zulily, $7
Necklace- Caroline G., just paid shipping, $5.98
Coach bag- Originally $200, got it for a steal! $50 (shipping included)

Dress ---> Skirt

I was browsing Target a few weeks ago when I saw a dress that I loved! It was more the print that I cared for then the actual dress, but I had to nab it. Of course, it was on sale for $11, so in the buggy it went. When I tried it on at home, it just looked awful. It was baggy with a belt I wasn't a fan of. Thus, I decided to make it into a skirt. This was really basic. I measured where I wanted it to hit, cut a few inches above that line. Folded, pinned, sewed & put the elastic in. It seriously only took me about 20 minutes from start to finish. Now I just need to find the perfect accessories to go with it. :)

pinned & ready to sew

finished product! 

Stripes

My favorite color is red. It's such a vibrant, passionate color. I also love wearing red, white + blue, especially on certain days. However, I like to wear it in a way that isn't a flag on my shorts with sparkly tennis shoes. Not that there is anything wrong that outfit, it's just not my personal taste. 

With that being said, I picked up these striped shoes for a steal at the Ann Taylor outlet. The shoes are my favorite part of the entire outfit! The jeans were 70% off from Kohl's. If you're in California, you should definitely sign up for the new Kohl's rewards program. Totally free and I *think* every dollar = 1 point, with 100 points being $5 Kohl's cash. The necklace was in the 50% clearance section at Target (Target=love) and as soon as I saw it, it was in the buggy. It's so surprising what actually makes it to the clearance/sales sections of stores. I don't even check the regular merchandise first anymore, just the sale items. If you don't have a Target red card, it's definitely worth it as well! The whole saving 5% is such a little thrill. I've always picked up basic, plain shirts at Walmart because they're so inexpensive. The only thing is they're normally thin that unless you want everyone seeing through it, a camisole is necessary. Forever 21 has good ones for only a few bucks. It's worth stopping in and picking up a few so you don't have to worry about undergarment exposure, especially in photos!

Flats + Ann Taylor = Love

patriotic without being campy...always good.

obsessed with this necklace! 

Shirt- Walmart, $7
Jeans- J.Lo, Kohl's, $15
Shoes- Ann Taylor, $10
Necklace-Target, $8.48
Bracelets- Coastie heart, $10; hearts, Kay's, gift; Monogram, gift
Sunnies- Old Navy, $12ish 

Pink & Black & Cheetah, Oh My!

I love pink + black together. It's always a cute combination. Add in cute shoes and a bright necklace and it's perfection. The first take is just a fitted black tee + black blazer with shorts. The second is a loose, piko like top, but with the same jewelry & shoes. The day I wore the second outfit, we hit up the outlets because I told the hubby what good sales they were having Labor Day weekend. Ann Taylor was doing 50% off everything, including clearance. Score! I don't shop at the outlets that often because they're normally 45 minutes + away, but signing up for all the rewards programs, emails, etc....always comes in handy!

It ended up being WAY too warm for this outfit...

Shopping the sales Labor Day weekend!

Blazer- Gap, on sale 2 years ago- $10

Tee- Target, on sale, $7

Necklace- Caroline G., just paid shipping

Shorts- Kohl's, on sale, $10.20

Black Piko- Sears, Kardashian line, on sale, $7.00

Sandals- Target, clearance, $5.98

Making Hair Ties!

You know those super cute, really stretchy hair ties that everyone loves? Yeah, the ones that go for $2-$3 a pop? Those are sooo much cheaper if you make your own. It's crazy easy too! Really. All they are is lingerie elastic, trimmed & knotted. The elastic can be picked up at almost any fabric store. (I got mine at Savannah Sewing & Colonial Quilts for 65 cents per yard.) In just a few minutes, you can make your own! All you'll need is the elastic + scissors.
I measured the elastic out by wrapping it around my wrist, making sure to keep it snug. Cut a little bit more then needed for the actual band so it could be knotted, then tied a knot in it. Super simple! I made over 50 with the amount of fabric I had, but you could also easily make headbands with it too. Instead of using your wrist, you would just measure what was comfortable around your head and go from there. :)

hair ties galore!

1. Measure 

2. Knot 

3. Trim 

2 ways to knot the ties. The 2nd way makes them look neater & lay better. 

The total cost of this project was $1.95, for 54 hair ties, which works out to be .03 per hair elastic. Crazy inexpensive! I now have a makeup bag full of hair ties that were *almost* like free. 

Pinterest Inspired!

We all have those outfits on Pinterest that we fall in love with, pin and then either forget about or think are too expensive to wear. One of my favorite hobbies is recreating outfits I pin on a budget. I get such a thrill out of picking up similar pieces for a steal.

Pinterest Outfit Inspiration

Now, I know this outfit isn't anything crazy. It's a basic tee + jeans. However, even just the basics can be pricey! My take, not so much. I picked up my yellow tee on clearance from Target. (Who doesn't love that store?!) The jeans I've had, but purchased from Goodwill and the sandals were on sale from Target. The scarf was my first Kiki La'Rue  purchase, with a 25% off coupon code they were offering. I asked a friend to monogram it for me, then sewed it into an infinity scarf.

My recreated Pinterest outfit

This scarf is a new favorite! 

On another note, I'm now enrolled in the fashion stylist course at Fashion Stylist Institute. I'm so looking forward to saying I'm a Certified Fashion Stylist! It's been a dream of mine since I was much younger. Anyone need a consultation or help with a new outfit? ;)  

Yellow Shirt- Target, $2.40

Jeans- Goodwill, $7.00

Sandals- Target, $12.00

Scarf- Kiki La'Rue, $17.00 (scarf + shipping)

Anniversary Style on a Budget

My 4th wedding anniversary was this week. I arranged for a sitter (Urban Sitter is awesome!) so the hubby & I could have a few child-free hours. But first, I had to find something to wear! Of course, I could have worn something I already owned, however, I wanted to make it an extra special evening. What helps make an evening even better? A new, fabulous outfit! So, I perused the racks...of thrift stores. I found the perfect dress within the first 20 minutes of searching. It was only $8.50! I was thrilled. I googled the label later and found out that line goes for $100-$150+ at Nordstrom! After finding the dress, I needed to complete the dress with the perfect shoes. Lo & behold, Target had these adorable wedges & earrings on clearance. The belt actually came with a pair of shorts I bought on clearance from Kohl's.

Love the ruffles.

The whole outfit! 

Just hanging around

A fabulous dress needs the perfect accessories! 

      Dress- Suzi Chin for Maggy Boutique, thrifted, $8.50

Earrings- Target, $2.38

Sandals- Target, $5.98

Bracelet- Gift from my wonderful younger brother eons ago

Belt- Kohl's, came with a pair of shorts, $10.20

Shirt to Tank

I love going to the gym. It's one of my new favorite things. Typically, I wear a tee + yoga pants. However, I wanted to change that up. The other day I picked up a plain t-shirt from a craft store & snipped, sewed & trimmed. In about 10 minutes I had a cute new gym top! The shirt cost $7, however I've seen them go for much less in other states... The green tie is actually a bright green shoestring (random, right?)I had in my sewing supplies. So for just a few bucks, I was able to make myself a fun new tank! This would also be cute with a looser top and actual ribbon for a not so casual top.

Shirt + Scissors...followed along the sleeve & neckline when cutting

Folded over & stitched

Finished project! 

Finished tank, pre-gym!