Thrifty and Shameless Finds: Vol 1

Hello my loves!

I am soooo excited to be blogging once again. I've had a million and one things going on but all of it brought me back to my first love of writing (blogging). I've been battling with myself about what direction I wanted to take with the blog-beating my brain up because I felt that I should choose one thing and focus on it but then I decided against that because my life is so diverse-hence the reason this is a lifestyle blog. 

In case you all didn't know, I've been running an online boutique for upwards of a year now. My shop, Miss Rockwells Racks, specializes in bringing you your favorite name brands and designers for a fraction of the cost. Currently I'm on Instagram as well as Facebook. I also sell on Vinted, Poshmark, and Ebay. I'm truly passionate about fashion and I do believe that I find good enough deals wherein I'm able to offer my customers a great price while still making a decent profit for myself. 

Once a week I want to dedicate a post to the exciting things that I've found/sold in the shop. And that is why I'm so excited to be blogging again today. 

For the first couple of installments I will be posting old things that have been in the shop just to give you an idea of my style and the types of things I like to look for when I shop. I tend to focus on the more trendy, smaller size items just because there are already so many vintage sellers out there already. Trendy sells too-maybe not as fast as larger sized, more unique pieces but it sells all the same. 

I thought this Roxy brand colorblock sundress was everything. It was brand new with tags and a size XL. The cutouts on the back and sides instantly drew me in. It sold less than 24 hours after it was posted.  Only $22. 

I originally purchased this romper for myself. See how I styled it here. As you can see, I'm a sucker for prints and details. This ruffle sleeve had me at hello. This baby sat in the shop for quite some time before it sold on Vinted for $15. 

These wedges are so different. They were an online return at one of my favorite places to source so I got them for a steal. They sold less than an hour after I posted them in The Frugal Stop Shop. $22

I had these new Ralph Lauren gingham rain boots in inventory for over a year before they sold. I just knew that people would jump all over these but they didn't. They were a size 6 so maybe that's why it took so long for them to go. Nevertheless, they finally went for $35 on Vinted. 

Lastly, this bow front gingham cocktail dress had me swooning. Surprisingly this also sat in inventory for over a year before someone on Vinted grabbed it up. Only $15.

That concludes Vol 1 of my favorites thus far. 

Please feel free to visit the shop, like and follow on Facebook and Instagram, and stay tuned for awesome deals and daily updates.

My inventory gets posted first on Ebay, then I move on to Instagram, Vinted, and FB groups. I usually post new things on Sunday and Thursday give or take a day or two. 

If you have specific styling questions or concerns leave them in the comments section or email me directly at missrockwellsracks@gmail.com.

I look forward to hearing from you and I hope to fulfill your styling needs somewhere in the near future. 

I hope you enjoyed my segment. 

Thanks for reading.

XOXOXOXO

Savings Cravin': How To Save Money on Printer Ink

So my HP ran slam out of ink right in the middle of printing my coupons for the HT Super Double event last week. Usually I'm able to run out to Office Max to pick up another cartridge but that began to get costly, besides the fact that it was 2AM.  I searched my trusty 'ole Ebay for refill ink and ended up saving myself about $110. This is the best thing since sliced bread IMO.

Here's how you can get your own. 

If you're a fan of Ebay, you can start there, however, I'm sure mass merchants like Amazon will have the same thing if you prefer ordering there. 

You will need to type the exact name of your printer in the search bar along with the words 'refill ink'.  You can then make the best selection to fit your needs. I ordered this 3 pack.  

Each pack will refill my cartridge 3 times. That's 9 cartridges of ink for $7.96!!! The ink that I would have normally purchased is anywhere from $13-$17 per cartridge so you do the math.

My package arrived in 2 days. I was super excited!

And installation was the easiest part of all. The refills came with an 'instruction manual' that was a cinch to read and understand. 

 After about 4 easy steps and 5-10 minutes of my time.....

 I was back up and printing and I didn't even have to leave the comfort of my own home. 

Trust me when I say as long as Ebay is in business, I won't ever buy ink from Office Max again unless they are practically giving it away.

 Let me know if this tip helped. 

And stay tuned for more deals, savings, and thrifty and shameless shenanigans. Please feel free to follow my Instagram as well as Facebook pages for additional info.

Thanks for reading. 

Thrifty Threads: My Couponing Outfit

I don't just coupon to save money on grocery items; my first love is shopping for clothes. Even then, "if it ain't got a #sale sticker on it, my money ain't buying it"!! I went couponing today in my clearance ChuckTaylors that I scored from Target when they had the smoking hot $5 off Converse coupon out. I got them for only $6.98. Believe it or not, the t-shirt came from Dollar Tree-check out the other t-shirt that I scored from there in this post. Last but not least, my boyfriend shorts were on sale for $5.99 a couple of seasons ago at Aeropostale. Talk about dressing on a budget. Yeah, I'm totally about that life!!

 I'm thinking of making this a regular feature here on the blog, which I've totally abandoned lately. Please forgive me. Would you all be interested in reading?

Follow along on my Instagram page as I post most of my hauls and deals there. You can also like my FB page to stay updated on other freebies and deals. 

Thanks for reading!!

Savin' Maven: DIY Photoshoot

As soon as I had my LO, I knew I would be taking lots of pics of him. I'm talking every day lots. If he could talk right now I'm sure he would have a few choice words for me. Mommy snaps pics whenever the urge arises-during sleep, during poops, during nursing, during bath time. I even play dress up with him and have real photo shoots. Because sometimes it's just not financially feasible to take him to the portrait studio. Sometimes you want your photos to look a little less 'planned' with a lot more personality and character.

Last week I shared some tips on how to save money on family portraits in this post. However, if you're super frugal like me and you have somewhat of a knack for photography and creativity this post is just for you.

Since I take pictures of my LO so frequently I wanted to try my hand at some Valentine's Day shots-a little more fun and personable than the family portraits we recently took at JC Penny's and a helluva lot cheaper.

I purchased my LO's outfits from Target just after Christmas. They weren't on sale or clearance but I love the Carter's brand so much that I was willing to pay full price for them.

Next I visited my local Dollar Tree for some cutesie Valentine's Day decor that would make for some decent background props. I ended up with these glittery hearts...

and this heart themed ribbon...

Since my LO isn't quite sitting up on his own yet, I placed him in a little pail that I found on clearance at WalMart a couple of years ago. 

Add the props and the baby and viola...

A super easy and successful photo session for all of 2 bucks. You can visit my Instagram page to see the final product after editing with photo apps. I had a great time doing this with my lil man and I'm sure he enjoyed the bonding time as well. 

I hope this will prove to be resourceful to some of you. 

Thanks for reading! 

XOXOXOXO

Savin' Maven: DIY Valentine's Day Mail

Hello my loves.

Listen, I know I'm late as hell; please forgive me as I'm still trying to get accustomed to life with a newborn. Its like my days are literally stuck on fast forward. Seriously though, every waking moment that I have is spent on my lil one. 

I did however want to stop by today to share a quick,  easy, and fairly inexpensive holiday DIY project with you all. This project can really be done for any occasion bit since my family just recently had Valentine's Day pictures taken we will roll with that. 

Alls you need are some fancy scissors, a few pieces of solid color printing paper, and some washi tape.

I started by searching for a nice quote online and creating a Publisher document that would allow me  to print several of them on one sheet. i decided upon a nice quote about friends and family and since it's Valentine's Day I chose red paper.

Next,  I used the fancy scissors to cut the 'quote cards' out. All of the scissor designs were so pretty.  I ended up going with the 'Sculptured' pair for nice, frilly edge. 

I added washi tape to the outside of the envelopes just for character. After using my coupon the tape was almost free, $.05, from Target. I figured this was a great way to use it.

So there you have it-a quick and easy way to spruce up your holiday mail. By the way,  I love how great our family portraits came out. The JCPenny's portrait studio did an awesome job. See how we saved a ton of money on them by viewing this post. 

Until next time-thanks reading!

XOXOXOXOXO

Savin' Maven: How To Save Money on Family Portraits

Happy Monday my loves. 

I hope each of you had a great weekend. 

Mine was pretty awesome. I spent Saturday shopping with my Mom and on Sunday my honey and I went on an outing with our little Peanut to get family photos taken. They came out great! I can't wait to pick up the finished product.

I'm such a picture fanatic however, I'm always surprised at just how costly professional photos are. Like what exactly are they charging you for? 

I've noticed some downright outrageous sitting fees since I began getting professional photos done for my lil man. Seriously though, must these companies charge a full fee for a child who hasn't even reached 2 months old.  Clearly this has to be against the law.

I've honestly seen families stray far away from the traditional family photos in the recent years all because they are way too expensive. A lot of people have even taken it upon themselves to create their own photo shoots. In a world where Instagram is so popular almost everyone has become a photographer. Once I feel more comfortable with the settings on my 'big girl' camera I will definitely experiment more with snapping my own portraits. However, for those of us who love the cheesy poses and backgrounds at our local studios, there must be a way to lower the cost of these portraits. 

How, you ask?

You guessed it.....

Coupons!!!

I literally used to toss these picture coupons right in the garbage until my lil man came along. These things are lifesavers! They're like paper gold!! One of these coupons lowered the cost our Christmas photos by 70%!

Who wouldn't want to save 70%.?

Another great thing to do would be to sign up or register on photo sites such as Tinyprints and/or Vistaprint. If you place frequent orders with any of the online sites you sign up on they will automatically send you special offers and discounts in the mail.

These coupons and discounts will allow me to get tons of portraits of my little one at a fraction of the cost. That means we will be in the studio at least once a month. Because every holiday is like a special event in my family-especially when there is a new baby involved! 

What are some things your family does to save money on portraits?

I can't wait to hear from you!

And remember, think about how much money you can save before tossing the next batch of picture coupons that appear in your mailbox!

Thanks for reading.

XOXOXOXO

My Kind Of Holiday: Black Friday Shopping

***This post is sponsored by Target but all opinions and views are my own***

One of my most favorite parts about the holidays is the shopping that goes along with it. I love gifting and I love giving.
This year's Black Friday was incredibly different because most stores actually opened up on Thursday, which was a complete bummer because those of us who are serious about our Black Friday shopping more than likely left our families early to be able to make it to our store of choice before the lines got too out of hand. 
I had my game plan figured out way in advance. I've been a loyal Target Black Friday shopper for the past 3 years now, this year being no different. 
I had my mind set on a brand new TV, which by visiting their Black Friday ad, I saw they were having a great doorbuster deal on. I even went so far as to map out my exact route once in the store so that I could be in and out and on to my next deal within a decent time frame.

The store wasn't scheduled to open until 8PM on Thursday evening so I figured if I got in line by 5PM I would be fine. Seeing how Thanksgiving dinner began at 3PM, I couldn't fathom leaving my family any earlier than that. 
Being that I am in my 9th month of pregnancy, I made sure to take a lawn chair, blanket, and earmuffs that were able to hook up to my phone so that I could listen to my favorite music and be semi-comfortable while waiting in line. 
When I initially arrived in the parking lot I saw that there weren't many cars nor were there many people standing in line. Awesome!!! I'm gonna be able to get in and out of the store in no time-TV in tow!!!
NEGATIVE!!!!!
About 30 minutes after waiting in the line, an associate came through to notify us that they had handed out all of the tickets for the TVs and that we should no longer waste our time in line because all 24 of them had been accounted for. 
Though I think it was very nice of her to notify us so that we wouldn't stand helplessly in line for hours, I'm very disappointed in Target for not having more of this advertised doorbuster in stock. I mean at least 50 would have been a more reasonable number. So now, not only am I frustrated with the fact that I lost out on valuable family time, I have to get my pregnant self up and search for another TV deal because unlike Walmart, Target did not offer an 'in stock guarantee'.
This Black Friday was a total bust for me-totally NOT #MyKindofHoliday.

Savin' Maven Monday: DIY Gender Reveal Party

Hello and Happy Monday my loves!!!

I hope all of you had a very great and productive weekend. Mine was a blast. I got to spend a very special moment with some of my family and closest friends. 

I'm generally a very private person so lots of my innermost feelings and personal accomplishments, milestones don't really get shared here. I can't really explain why I'm like this; it's just one of my many quirky personality traits. 

However, this moment was so special and dear to me that I wanted to make sure to document it in all of its glory.

If you all aren't already aware, my honey and I are expecting this December. It's hard to tell from my recent outfit posts-here, here, and here-because at over 21 weeks I still haven't developed much of a baby bump. Believe me, I've been comparing pregnancy bumps and wondering why I still look so abnormally normal for someone who is halfway through her pregnancy but the doctors assure that our little Peanut is just fine in here.

The honey and I found out at the end of April and I told my Mother and Sister about the news with an ultrasound and a card on Mother's Day. They were ecstatic, as were our friends and the rest of our families. My family in particular hasn't had a new baby in 12 years so everyone is super excited to spoil our little one-great for the baby; an extreme Catch 22 for us as parents.

Anyhow, our gender reveal was this past weekend and it was such a joy to finally find out the gender of our little one. Please be advised that this post is pic heavy before reading on.

I didn't want the traditional invites so I went with something creative and bold...

This design came in a package set with cupcake toppers, a banner, etc. I ordered the set from 

The Paper Blossom Shop.

Debbie did everything perfectly and exactly how I asked.

Everything was printed on card stock so I had to cut the pieces out myself , which I was totally OK with.

 

The cake...

***Homemade by my besties coworker. Cake baking is a pastime of hers so I was charged very little for this gorgeous 3 tier deliciousness***

The table setup...

***All decor was purchased from The Dollar Tree and the thrift store along with the dollar bins at Michael's***

The food...

We made everyone take a vote for the gender before the actual reveal. The final vote had Kennedy winning at a 7-5 vote.

We gathered around to cut into the cake at 5PM sharp.

The parents-honey and I!

I elected him to do the cutting because I was shaking way too profusely to be able to hold the knife steady.

As soon as I saw a peek of the color, I went absolutely NUTSO!!!

Our little Peanut is a.....

A BOY...A LITTLE FELLA...A LAD...MOMMA'S BOY...DADDY'S BEST FRIEND!!!

This feeling is truly inexplicable.

Funny that we both wore blue too!!

Our KJ!!!!

We couldn't be happier. We both wanted a boy!!!

Now my beautiful Princess goddaughter will have a 'boyfriend' and her mother and I can finally plan playdates...

My mother is already planning for him to have his own closet at her house...

And my besties can't wait to spoil him rotten along with the rest of the family!!!

We are totally excited about parenthood and the fabulous journey with our son.

I will try not to bombard you all with new and exciting updates (his first smile, first Christmas, the first time he holds his head up, etc) about our boy but I won't promise you anything at all.

Just bear with me please!!!

I know this has been an extremely long post so thanks a bunch for reading.

XOOXOXO