Tights& Flats/Jacket-similar, similar/Sunnies/Dress- ReLilly/Earrings-Dollar Store/ Belt-Kohls, similar, similar/


I've had this Lilly dress since this summer and have only worn it once. Sad, right? It's been sitting in my closet waiting for some winter inspiration to hit. It finally did! The addition of tights + denim jacket made it much more appropriate for the 40 degree weather we've been having lately. I remember saying in a post a few months back how I just wanted it to be cold... I was wrong. It can be warm again! I pretty much based my whole outfit around these plum tights and am so giddy because I didn't ruin them by tearing them on something. Major accomplishment for my super klutzy self.

Lilly Love on a Budget

I think I may have said this before, but if not...I love Lilly Pulitzer. I just don't have a full price Lilly budget. This adorable pink Lilly top is from thredUP, the London Fog trench via the Salvation Army. Who doesn't love finding quality clothes for a steal? The top was free, thanks to trade in credits & I'm fairly certain the coat was only around $7. The most exciting part was that this whole outfit, sunglasses & bag included, totals out for not quite $100. Now I just need a fabulous brunch to wear this to... :)

Selfie Central

I love this jacket. It's comfy, but just as warm as my favorite hoodie and looks a lot better. It's Banana Republic via a thrift store. :) The jeans I'm crazy about too! What a surprise, they're from Target. I could live at that place. If I ever go missing, my hubby knows where to find me. Anyway, I finally found the cut that works for me-short & curvy. It was a major happy dance moment...and, of course, the animal print flats go with everything. 

Flats, Jeans, Sunnies-Target

Jacket-thrifted

Turtleneck-Charlotte Russe (2007? 2006? It's old)

And this whole outfit is brought to you by Target...

I'll admit it. I have a Target addiction. It's inevitable though. Seriously, I live so close to one, how could I not?! It's an addiction I don't plan on overcoming anytime soon either. The sweater was an impulse buy, but it was a Black Friday impulse, so 40% off made it totally acceptable. ;) The sunnies are the only piece of this outfit that weren't on sale/clearance/purchased with a percentage off, thanks to Cartwheel. (Seriously. best app ever.) Sadly, I didn't actually hit up any place amazing for Black Friday. The kiddos needed some new clothes, so they were the first priority. The Children's Place has such adorable clothing & they always have coupons & sales going on. But I did pick up this sweater, a necklace, and 2 tops from (shocking) Target & from thredUP  (great online consignment shop) a Banana Republic dress, J.Crew top & Lilly Pulitzer dress. The best part about the thredUP purchases were I used credit from clothes I'd sent in, so I only paid $6 for everything!

I'm an excitable person. If I'm really thrilled about something, I may bounce & squeal...which is what I did when I found these jeans. Calvin Klein skinny jeans for $3.50! There wasn't anything wrong with them, other then the small rip pictured below. It took me maybe a minute, and they were fixed and perfect. :) 

After I fixed them, I couldn't wait to wear them! What's the point of having fabulous new jeans if they're just going to sit, right? I found this top for $10 on the clearance rack at TJ Maxx. It's actually a bathing suit cover-up, but I thought it was just a perfect top in general. This whole outfit, necklace & earrings included, cost less then $40. My kind of outfit!

Is there such a thing as too much leopard? 'Cuz I totally don't think so. 

I used to hate skinny jeans. I thought they were only for the incredibly slim & very tall. They're definitely now my favorite cut though. These jeans were picked up from a thrift store for $3.50 & I had to put a little patch on them since there was a hole. But still, Gap jeans for $3.50...major win in my book! I don't think I paid full price for anything in this outfit either! Pretty sweet. Also, these are my fav photos taken so far for this blog. Who doesn't love a dirty parking lot + a water filled background?! I do. :)  

Jeans- Thrifted, Gap, $3.50

Shoes- Target, Sale, $14

Shirt- Old Navy, clearance, $13

Necklace- Caroline G., sale, $5.98 (shipping)

Bag- Target, sale (can't remember price-from this summer) 

Brunch Wear

I love brunch. If I could eat it everyday, life would be fabulous. This was what I threw on for a brunch date with the hubby while my oldest was in school. I didn't want to wear a whole lot of color, so I compromised. Black + animal print + statement scarf. I think it's a combination that always works...and those are my favorite flats, so I wear them with just about everything. The black sweater is another favorite, an oldie (spring 2010) from Express. But Kiki La'Rue has something almost identical right now. Sadly, this outfit didn't even last the day. It just got too warm! Am I the only one who just wishes the weather would stay cool? I'm ready for scarf & boot weather 24/7 y'alll. 

Lacy

Selfies...gotta love 'em. This was a "I don't feel like getting dressed" look. Really lazy, but quite comfortable. I didn't even bother to put any makeup on that day. The lace top was an impulse (aren't they all?) buy from a resale store for only a few bucks. I'm thinking about dying it, but we'll see...  The cuff is from Purple Peridot. Y'all check her out! Everything I've bought from there I've loved, especially since it's super affordable & cute. 

Green Dress Part 2

Part 2 is comprised of 4 different looks. I'm sort of, kinda, totally in love with this dress. I feel like this shade of green & this cut is just really versatile. I want to wear it...a lot. Everyone needs a green dress in their closet. ;) 

Look 1

Look 2

Look 3

Look 4

The 3 belts worn, coral blazer & black booties are all from Target. The gray sweatshirt, coral flats & gold flats are from Old Navy, all sale/clearance. The 2 necklaces are from Purple Peridot. They have great prices! I've been waiting for the perfect piece to wear with the pink (thrifted for $6!) jacket for ages as well, so I was super excited about this pairing.

Green Dress Part 1

As soon as I saw this dress, I grabbed it. It had so much unexplored potential and I couldn't wait to play with it! The first thing I decided to do was dye it from it's original yellow to a more flattering green. I picked up the dye from Beverly's for about $3.50 & went to work. The dying was fairly easy since I could just throw it in the wash + add salt and let it do it's thing. After that was done, I cut off 6 inches & did a zig zag stitch just to finish it. I like to think of it as efficient hemming. :) Once that was all completed, I started playing with styling options. There were just so many! Thus, this week's posts are all about the green dress.

Look 1. 

I actually wore this outfit to have some solo time (it's the pinnacle of excitement to drink coffee alone) + take my oldest trick or treating. It's relaxed & comfortable, but still put-together and not sloppy. Plus, pearls look good with just about anything! 

Dress- thrifted + dye, $7.50

Flats- Old Navy clearance, $7

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

Denim Jacket- Ralph Lauren, 5ish years old, $60

Pearls- gift eons ago.. 

Bracelet- Marley Lilly, flash sale, $20 

Sweater Vest Part 2

Who doesn't love selfies in their bedroom mirror? They're just the best photos ever. ;) I love how different the sweater (vest? I still don't know what to call it. Sweater vest sounds so...80s) looks with the cream top & nude flats. The ring was a fun little impulse purchase from Beverly's. The jeans & sweater are thrift finds, everything else from chain stores. 

Jeans- Goodwill, $8

Shirt- TJ Maxx, $12

Sweater- thrift, $4

Shoes- Target, $14 (on sale!)

Ring- Beverly's, $5.50 total, I think* (it's acutally 2 pieces)

Bracelets- Old Navy, Target, Caroline G.

Necklace- Old Navy

Date Day Style

The hubby & I stole a few hours alone this last weekend...and it was glorious. Brunch, used book sale, thrift shops...overall, a wonderful date day. The weather here has been a bit wonky as of late, so Saturday it was plenty warm for a dress and sandals. This is a dress I picked up from a thrift stores ages ago and it's one of my favorite finds to date. I hemmed it, then did a zig-zag stitch after it frayed a little. The necklace is a new little treasure, purchased off of Instagram. I felt so awkward taking these photos & would have had more, but a security guard just stopped and watched. He was kind enough to take a photo of the hubby & I together, but I was too embarrassed to take any more solo ones afterwards. Gotta love it. 

Dress- thrifted; $6 (? can't remember exactly)

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

Sandals- Target clearance, $12

Coach bag- outlet sale over 3 years ago, $70

Necklace & earrings-set from Instagram, $12

boots + bows

I wore this outfit last week to a spouse association meeting...and a solo Target/Starbucks run. The sweater (vest? sweater vest? sleeveless sweater?) was a thrift find from Goodwill for only $7! I was thrilled it was finally cool enough to wear it, but definitely regretted the short sleeves later... The necklace is from an adorable boutique in Statesboro, GA that I happened to get when they were doing a flash sale on their Facebook page. 

selfie in the target fitting room...

        Sweater- Goodwill, $7

   Tee- Target, $7

Jeans- Forever 21, $10

Boots- Wet Seal, $20 (I think?)

Bag- gift

Necklace- Walker Boutique

Skirt Tutorial!

Step 1: Gather your supplies...

This is a super easy way to make a skirt. Once you have this down, it should only take 30-60 minutes to make one. You'll need about a yard of fabric (depending on size & print), a machine (or you could always hand sew, but that will take more time), coordinating thread, scissors, an area to cut your fabric, & a measuring tape or ruler.

         Step 2: Measure your waist. Divide that in half, then cut.
                   My daughter's waist is 20 inches, so I cut at the 11 inch mark.  
Step 3: After the fabric is cut, put right sides together & pin.  

 I made this considerably smaller for my daughter, so you'll just scale up to fit you. Also, to have more fullness & ensure it'll fit my hips, I always cut a few inches bigger than actually necessary. I used 100% cotton, 44 inch wide fabric, so when I was initially cutting the fabric was folded in half. After I cut it for the waist, I cut it in half at the fold, to have 2 even pieces.

Step 4. Sew those two sides together! Both sides, leaving the top & bottom alone. 

     Step 5: Not 100% necessary, but zig-zag over all raw
 edges helps keep things looking nicer.

Step 6: Zig-zag stitched the raw bottom hem, then rolled....

Step 7: Sewing a straight stitch over the rolled hem. Just makes it look a smidgen neater. 

I normally do the hem before I take care of the waist, but that's only because I typically hem everything about the same length. 

Step 8: Waist time! I used 1 inch elastic & measured what was comfortable around my daughter's waist.
I folded over the top just enough so the elastic would fit and did a straight stitch, leaving about an inch open so I could wiggle the elastic in. 

Step 9: Pinned the end of the elastic in place, then used a safety pin to pull the other end through. When it had come all the way through, I sewed it into place, then closed the inch opening I'd left. 

Step 10: Finished product! 

Little bit wearing her new skirt...she loves it! :)