2012 Style Recap...

Happy New Year's Eve my loves!

I can NOT believe that this year is about to come to an end already! I just can't accept it! I guess time really does fly when you're having fun!

I've learned and accomplished so much this year-blog wise and personally-it's been really busy for me. So much so that at times it was a struggle for me to keep up. But I did and I made it to the very end.

I've made a ton of new and totally awesome blogger friends, I've contemplated giving up blogging altogether, I've felt horrible for not being able to blog more, and now at the end of this year I'm finally settling into the fact that I can only do what I can-especially as far as blogging is concerned.

Then there's the style portion of it all. Looking back over this last year, I have definitely seen my style evolve.

Let's take a look...

All This Love For Free
Everything was thrifted with the exception of the boots/accessories

The Truth Hurts

Everything thrifted with the exception of the shoes/accessories

Nowhere To Go

Only the pussybow blouse was thrifted but the vest and jeans were at rock bottom prices

Hit or Miss

Everything thrifted with the exception of the accessories

Pretty In Pink

Thrifted Blazer

Champagne Taste, Corona Budget
Thrifted Purse and Jacket

Let The Skirt Do The Talking
Everything thrifted with the exception of the shoes/accessories

The Story Of The Thrifted Blazer

Pearls And Animal Prints
Thrifted Sweater

These Yellow Shoes

My Foxy Lady Dress

Thrifted Blazer

My Wedding Dress

 I've gained some wonderful inspiration from my lovely blogger friends so I can not forget to express my huge appreciation for their flyness! In an effort to keep up with all of the latest trends, I definitely saw myself go overboard in the shopping department and that's not good. So for the year of 2013, I plan to make more of an effort to shop my own closet by remixing the items that I already have. 

I'm incredibly excited and looking forward to what 2013 has in store! I hope you all will continue to stop by and take this journey with me.

Thanks so much for visiting. Until 2013!!!!

My Wedding Dress...

You know, up until about 8 months ago I really wasn't a huge skirt and/or dress type of gal!

Then I did this post.  That's when it hit me that my legs were really not as chicken little as I had imagined them to be. In fact, I was quite enamored with how sweet and sophisticated the skirt made me feel. 

Back in high school, I of course was into mini skirts but that's only because the boys liked them. If it were up to me I would've been perfectly fine wearing jeans and the newest sneaker to school. 

Would you ever have guessed that I was a huge tomboy? I had more sports jerseys and athletic sneakers than a mens basketball team. And it didn't help that I worked at the newest sneaker store in the mall back then.

Fast forward to now and you can't keep me away from skirts and dresses.

Like this one.... 

I wore this dress to a wedding a couple of weeks back. 

Dress/Heels-Target

I was on the fence for the longest about what to wear to a fall wedding. Then I spotted this lovely in the clearance section at Target. 

The pattern as well as the color scheme had me at hello!

I absolutely had to have it!

It was part of the Kirna Zabete line that was only there for a limited time. There were some really gorgeous pieces in that collection, most of which were a little too expensive for my 'thrifty and shameless' pockets. I'm so grateful that Target marks their items down because that gives shoppers like me a chance to partake in pieces that I otherwise would not be able to afford.  

This is one of those pieces that can be worn over and over again because of its classic shape and neutral color palette. I'm actually really glad that I chose this dress in particular because it gave me the chance to pull out some accessories that I had forgotten about...

This hat I found on clearance at Forever 21...

This pink chain necklace...

Necklace/Watch-NY&Co | Ring-Wet Seal

And these floral stockings that I absolutely love!

Stockings-Ross

Not only am I into dresses and all things dainty nowadays, but I'm also thinking that a beautiful wedding wouldn't be so bad either.

If only just to wear the dress!

Before I go, I want to remind you to enter my very first giveaway. You can read here for details!

Thanks for reading dears!

Until next time.

XOXOXOXO

Linked to

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The Pleated Poppy

Random Wednesday

Rolled Up Pretty

Thrifters Anonymous

Holiday Cheer + My First Giveaway!!!

Stay tuned for a very special New Year's giveaway!!!

Well my loves, Christmas has come and gone!

Now it's time to get back to the regularly scheduled program.

How many of you spent a small fortune on Christmas gifts?

My honey always says that gifts should be given year round (whether big or small) and not just a couple of days out of the year. I couldn't agree more.

Speaking of giving, I want to give ONE lucky reader something for being so loyal and kick ass. For taking a walk with me as I share my thrifty style with the world. For always reading and commenting. And for just showing me genuine love in the process. It is greatly appreciated.

This is my very first giveaway and I'm too excited. Since I'm not one of those big, fancy, schmancy blogger types, this giveaway isn't sponsored by a huge company. It's sponsored by my pockets and my utmost graciousness for your readership.

For the last couple of months, I've also been inspired and motivated by a very awesome like group of girls, the BLMGirls, who you can read more about here.  They have become my virtual family as well as my blogger BFF's. They challenge me each and every day to become a better blogger,to stay true to myself  FIRST, and to ultimately be the best me that I can be.

BLM FB Page

I'm looking forward to a new year of writing, entertaining, and learning. In the next 365 days I want to see financial breakthroughs, better relationships, and success with my online shop, which you can visit here and here. I want to make sure that I interact with my readers more, learn how to better maneuver through the functions on this high tech camera that the honey is sharing with me, and somehow find a way to figure out this whole time management thing because somedays I am truly overwhelmed!

Anyhow, on to the giveaway....

On New Year's Day, 1/1/2013, one of my readers will win the following contents from my very FIRST giveaway...

It's full of beauty products!!!

It includes:

ELF Eyelashes, Maybelline Dream Mousse Eyeshadow, 2 Maybelline Eyeliners, ELF Glitter Gloss, Cover Girl Wet Slicks, Bath & Body Works Hand Lotion, Antibacterial Soap, and Antibacterial Sanitizer w/purse attachment, Aveeno Moisturizing Cream, Neutrogena Sunscreen, Burt's Bees Balm and an Allegro Beauty Bag.

What girl doesn't love beauty products? Better yet, what better way to start a new year than with this free swag!

It's really easy to enter too! Here are the rules:

a Rafflecopter giveaway Thanks so much for reading and following!

Weekend Whimsies: What I'm Reading

Happy Sunday my loves! 

We only have 2 more days until the big holiday is here!

Are you all ready!? I'm as ready as I will ever be!

Just wanted to let you all know what I've been reading over the weekend. Each week the ladies over at IFB do a round up of cool posts and I made it into this week's edition. There are always some really good reads on the site and I wanted to make sure you all had first dibs on reading some of these wonderful and informative posts. If you're interested in submitting something of your own, the instructions are down below (all the way at the bottom)!

Happy reading!

Holidays are Coming

Edited by: Emily of Sugar & Spice Less than a week until Christmas, we’re all dreaming of what might be inside the beautifully wrapped presents under the tree come Christmas morning. This week’s collection of posts have a festive feel but will also inspire your crafty side this holiday season, how to recycle your summer wardrobe for colder weather, last minute gift guides for loved ones, or yourself and top tips on how to shop better particularly as the post-Christmas sales begin. So, whilst you enjoy all of the wonderful contributions this week, all that remains is to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

LINKS À LA MODE: THE IFB WEEKLY ROUND UP: DECEMBER 20TH

• A Simple Statement: Favourite looks for Pre-Fall 2013
• All Things Kate: Summer in December
• Fashion Delights: 6 Classic Items that a woman should have in her closet
• Fashion, Trends & More: 3 Ways To Wear a Patterned Dress
• Girl In The Yellow Dress: In a Softer Light
• IFB: How To Build Your Blog’s Marketing Calendar
• Incognito: On shopping occasionally and loyally
• Leilah’s Lipstick: Holiday Dress Guide
• Le Style Connoisseur: The Real Iconic Things to Fashion Blogging
• Lifestyles of the Thrifty and Shameless: Savin’ Maven Monday: Holiday Shopping Tips
• Lover of Clothes: How do you transition your summer pieces into winter weather?
• My Fashion Insider: 10 fashion tips for short girls
• Random chic musings: DIY: Punk Chic Bib Necklace
• Secret Style File: Christmas in a Window
• South x Style: How To: Glitter Manicure
• Style Curated: Recycling, Reconstructing and Remnants
• Sugar & Spice: How to Shop the Sales in Style this Season
• The Mirror on the Wall: How to create an unconventional fashion mix
• The Skye Charlie Show: Fashion Victim 101
• Undercover Dress-Up Lover: Chocker tutorial
• Youth Savage: Has the Future of Fashion Blogging Arrived?

  SPONSOR: Shopbop Dresses: NuBra, Retrosun, Annabel Ingall, Renzo Kai, Salvatore Ferragamo, Giambattista Valli, Ferretti, PilyQ, Wang Satchels, Jean Paul Gaultier If you would like to submit your link for next week’s Links à la Mode, please register first, then post your links HERE where you see “Links a la mode next week’s date (official)”. The HTML code for this week will be found in the Links a la Mode widget on the right side of the blog, and will be published later today. ~ Jennine

Trendy Tuesday: Fugly Christmas Sweaters

It's Tuesday...again!!!

And we are exactly one week away from the Christmas holiday. I sooo wish that one of my friends was having an 'ugly Christmas Sweater' party this year. I would wear one of these....

  Fugly Christmas Sweaters... by sherockwell featuring river island

Navy sweater / Topshop knit sweater, $63 / Knit sweater, $56 / River Island , $40 / H&M long sleeve knit shirt, $40

  Since I wasn't able to attend an 'ugly Christmas Sweater' party this year, I may just go ahead and host my own party next year-that would be pretty dope, huh!? And it would be even more dope say all of my blogger friends could attend! Hmmm....that's definitely something worth looking into. Though these sweaters may be super fugly to someone else, I would wear each and every one of them-especially the red one at the bottom.  I would pair mine with some super flared, dark wash jeans, pointy-toe heels, and maybe even some antlers for the added effect. Have you attended any 'ugly Christmas Sweater' parties this year? If so, how did you style your sweater?   I can't wait to hear from you! Thanks for reading! XOXOXOXO

Savin' Maven Monday: Holiday Shopping Tips

Happy Monday my loves!

I hope all of you had an enjoyable weekend. I really got a lot of things done. I cleaned, took some items to Goodwill, added some super cute items to my shop, and, here's the kicker, I finally put my Christmas tree up! I know we're all of a week and a half away from the big day but hey, better late than never, right!?

Speaking of the big holiday, how many of you have finished shopping for gifts? I'm clearly soooo behind this year-I haven't even started yet!!! Is it just me, or do you all find that things are 100 times cuter when you're supposed to be shopping for someone other than yourself? And each time the cashier asks you if you've finished shopping your response goes a little like this-"I haven't even started yet" or "I'm supposed to be gift shopping now but I keep finding things for myself". 

If either of those responses are even remotely close to something that you have said over the past weekend then you're at the right blog! Today I want to share with you some holiday shopping tips that may, or may not, help you to curb those additional spending urges.

Make A List (Holiday Shopping Tip) by sherockwell featuring graphic tees

Make a list. This is true. I make a list for everything-outfit inspirations, goals, books to read, bills to pay, etc. Not only do lists help you keep everything organized but writing things down will make you accountable for them. So make a list of everyone you need to shop for.

Set a budget. This will vary depending on how many people are on your list. Once the budget is set you can divide that by how many people you have on your list. Be certain to keep in mind those people like mom, dad, or a significant other,  for whom you may spend a little bit extra.

Use reward cards. Shop at stores where you have "frequent flyer" rewards cards so that the money you are spending now will net you some type of reward in the future. For example, New York & Company gives out a $20 gift certificate to platinum card holders for every $200 spend on the card.

Take advantage of daily deal sites. Search sites like Groupon and Living Social for last minute deals that no one else will think of. This way your gift can be inexpensive AND unique.

Shop those clearance racks. Many stores are preparing for their winter/spring lines (crazy right) so lots of summer/fall items are marked down very cheap. Now is the perfect time to purchase coats and boots.

Price Match. This is especially true for toys and electronics. Visit stores like Target and Wal-Mart where you may be able to scratch a number of things off of your list in one visit. Don't forget to take the sale ad with you too.

Get creative. Dig into your personal stash of craft supplies to create hand made gifts such as picture frames and/or scrapbooks. Not only are these types of gifts more personable, but they save a ton of money and stress.

And there you have it. I hope these tips will be helpful to you during your shopping escapades. Let me know if you think of any additional tips that I may have left out.

I can't wait to hear from you!

Thanks for reading.

XOXOXOXOXO

My Foxy Lady Dress...

Happy Thursday my loves! We are just one day away from the weekend and I couldn't be happier. 

Today is my last day of finals for the semester so I'm doing all sorts of booty pops over here.

Add an additional booty pop for the fact that my honey willingly assisted me in studying for my exam-that was so thoughtful of him!

I'm also doing an outfit post today! (insert confused face here)

 I haven't done one in soooo long that I almost forgot how. Outfit posts are beginning to be like celebratory events for me.

When I saw this dress on Karla Reed's Instagram I had to have it!

I knew deep down in my soul that it was made for me-as well as her, of course!

It's comfy and just the right length to pair with these awesome knee high boots that I scored last year. I love that it fit loose enough for me to layer a striped oxford under it....

But also thin enough that I could put this thrifted Zara blazer over it without feeling like I was compromising my comfort.

The elbow patches had me at hello!

Not to mention the fact that the dress was found at my most favorite store in the history of stores!

Sweater Dress-Target

Where else but TARGET!?

Blazer-Thrifted (Zara)

They are after my heart with the sharpest arrow!

Scarf/Striped Oxford-NY & Co.

In fact, I can't wait to stop in there today to see what kind of new goodness they have. The clearance section has been calling my name. 

A few days ago, I asked a bunch of my BLM girls about the favorite place to shop and very surprisingly I was about the only one who said Target!

Boots-Rainbow

Maybe it's the big red dot, or the coupons; maybe even the fact that I know their markdown schedule like the back of my hand! Then again, maybe it's just because I can find wonderful pieces there,

like this foxy lady dress,

 that fit my style to a tee-and at such affordable prices too!

So, where is your all time favorite place to shop?

I can't wait to hear from you!

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Linked to:

YOLO Mondays

The Pleated Poppy

Random Wednesday

Thrifters Anonymous

Rolled Up Pretty

Trendy Tuesday: Cocktail Dresses

Happy Tuesday my loves!

I feel like I haven't posted in a month of Sundays; preparing for finals as well as work stuff has me just a tad bit overwhelmed. I will be glad when this week is behind me so I can get back to blogging-I feel like I'm so out of the loop!

Anyhow, as holiday season gets closer, many of us are gearing up and getting prepared for those infamous parties where we get to strut our stuff and wear our most adored cocktail dresses.

Thus far the honey and I only have one holiday party planned but trust that we will make it one to remember. I actually can't wait!

I'm thinking of wearing something along the lines of these...

  Cocktail Dresses... by sherockwell featuring a baby doll dress

 

Puffy dress, $79 / Baby doll dress / Sequin cocktail dress, $35 / Black sequin dress, $40 / Rare London short cocktail dress, $63 / Gold cocktail dress

Do you have plans to attend any holiday parties? If so, what will you wear? I can't wait to hear from you! Thanks for reading! XOXOXOXO