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

Black, White, and Pumpkin Spice...

Happy Wednesday Snow Day my loves. 

I hope you all are enjoying some much needed time off to relax and take in the beautiful scenery outside.  My area rarely ever gets snow-especially not in January- so this is somewhat of a big deal for us.  I believe the last time we had weather like this it was in the middle of March. Crazy, right!?

Today I want to share with you one of my maternity outfits that I intended to post before the baby got here. Time obviously got the best of me as I was busy nesting and doing baby related chores.

Since I didn't really get a noticeable baby bump until late (about 7 months)in my pregnancy this outfit will look great on a non expectant woman as well.

My Mother gave me this wonderful striped blouse as a birthday gift and I knew immediately that I wanted to pair it with a bold color.

If you're a new visitor, each Tuesday I highlight one trend and come up with an inspiration board containing 3 different styling ideas in my Trendy Tuesday posts. My outfit post for the week usually pertains to the highlighted trend-giving you a chance to see a real life budget friendly version of that trend. View this week's post to see the styling ideas I came up with for the black and white trend.

These bold leggings worked perfectly to bring out the classic black and white pallette. They were found on the red line clearance rack at NY&Co, one of my favorite retailers. I can't wait to style them this Spring.

The elastic waistband made for a comfy belly too!

I'm all about some layers so I figured I would top this fit off with my thrifted Zara corduroy blazer.  The elbow patches had me at hello. This piece is such a staple in my closet.

All in all this may have been one of my favorite maternity outfits-it was super comfy and stylish, and best of all it cost me less than $25.

What are some of your favorite budget pieces from your closet?

I can't wait to hear from you. 

Thanks for reading. 

XOXOXOXO

Pink Florals + New Hair...

Hello and Happy Thursday my loves!

I hope you all are off to a great start today. I'm actually off to a late start today due to meetings at work. I promise if I go to yet another meeting, I'm gonna pull these marley twists out of my head.

Oh, by the way, did you notice?

I have new hair (It's actually old now as these pics were taken weeks ago)!!!

As I get further along in my pregnancy I don't want to be worried with what to do with my hair so I figured these twists would be no fuss and extremely low maintenance.

There are so many different styles that I can try with them and they really make me want to consider locking my hair.

I LOVE THEM!!!

Just about as much as I love this pretty pink floral dress.

I found it on the clearance rack at my favorite spot, none other than my 'ole faithful Target!

I fell in love with it when it initially hit the rack but I refused to pay full price for it.

So like a true 'thrifty and shameless' bargain shopper I waited....and waited...and waited...

until I finally found it marked down for $7.48!!!

Major score!

And I adore how well it goes with my 26 week bump!!!

Dress-Target | Shoes-TJ Maxx

Perfect match!!

What do you all think???

I can't wait to hear from you.

And while you're visiting, make sure to enter my $25 Target gift card giveaway as there's only a few hours left to enter. The rules are simple and you can enter by clicking here.

Thanks so much for reading.

XOXOXOXOXO

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High Waists and Studs with a Dash of Sparkle...

Hello my loves and Happy Thursday.

I hope each of you are off to a great start.

I'm super excited that the weekend is almost here-I'm planning to participate in a yard/stockpile sale with my Mother and spend some time with her and my sister discussing plans for my little Peanut's upcoming baby shower. His dad and I are also planning to finally put his crib together sometime this week. I feel like I'm so behind with this whole nursery thing. At times I find myself worrying about things not being done by the time he gets here but when I bring myself back to reality, I realize that I may be overexxagerating just a tad.

However, I'm not exaggerating when I say that pregnancy has given me some new found curves. Like wowzers, where did these boobs come from!?

 I'm loving every moment of them. LOL

I'm also loving this super comfy outfit that I put together to attend a Yelp event in my area last month.

Oh, and this grand piano!!!! Honey, I wasn't leaving the scene without taking some pictures by this gorgeousness. I mean who would be able to resist this breathtaking, picture perfect moment?

NOT I!!!

I also couldn't resist the urge to pair these high waisted pants with this cute little bolero jacket that I snagged from Plato's a couple of seasons ago. Now let me tell you, I've never really been a super huge fan of high waists OR wide leg pants but these worked so well for me.

For starters, they have lots of elastic in the waistband so they fit comfortably over my 6 month bump, which I can't keep my hands and eyes off of. Secondly, the studs had me at hello and thirdly, they were only 7 bucks at a clearance event Dillards. Major score!!!

I was initially on the fence about what to pair the pants with because I didn't want a top that would take away from the studs on both the pants and the bolero so I went to a trusty, solid colored tank that I got at one of Old Navy's '2 Dollar' tank sales.

I think everything tied in together really well-especially with the dash of sparkle from the necklace and my infamous Target clutch. This was unexpectedly one of my favorite outfits of the month.

What do you all think of the high waist trend?

I can't wait to hear from you.

Thanks so much for reading.

XOXOXOXO

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Hump Day Pops of Coral...

What day is it!!??

What day is it!!??

What day is it!!??

It's HUMP DAY!!!

Woot Woot!

LOL...I'm such a dork...as I began writing this post all I could think about was this silly

 Hump Day commercial that has me balled over in laughter every time I see it.

I'm so glad that we are halfway through the workweek. I've really been on it this week-catching alot of couponing deals to build my stockpile before my little man gets here. I'm happy I don't have much planned for the weekend other than getting my Peanut registered at store #2. That means I can focus my energy on reorganizing my home and getting things prepared for our first annual

Mother-Daughter Red Tag Boutique sale that my mom and I will be holding at the end of October.

Yesterday on the blog I discussed how to wear the whole "coral trend" and though it's not particularly a fall color, I plan to incorporate it into my wardrobe anyway.  

I think this color works at its best when styled as an accessory hue.

For example, the necklace, purse, and bag that I added to this 'fit complimented it very well and added just a touch of edge.

It's amazing how much a pop of color can bring out an otherwise ordinary outfit.

I'm a classic type of girl so when I'm out shopping, I tend to look for neutral pieces that can be remixed and paired with several combinations for different looks.

So when I found this 99 cent striped chambray and these shorts at a $2 clearance I knew they would last a while in my wardrobe.

Both pieces are hella comfy, which makes great for my growing belly...

and I love the menswear inspired vibe that this look is giving me!!

Chambray/Belt-Thrifted | Purse-NY&Co | Sandals-Old Navy | Necklace-Platos

What color do you pair with your neutrals to give them a much needed pop?

I can't wait to hear from you!

Thanks for reading.

XOXOXOXO

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All Natural Style Secrets

Happy Wednesday my loves.

I hope each of you are off to a great start on this gorgeous hump day.

I'm not too excited about having to return to work tomorrow after a two month break but hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Right?

I am, however, excited to be participating in a style challenge sponsored by the
Lucky Magazine Community.  They have partnered with Seventh Generation in order to present an #AllNaturalStyleSecrets Challenge. As a participant I received a free sample of this product from Lucky and Seventh Generation for use in connection with my blog.

Soothing Boost

In addition, I was asked to show off one of my chicest yet seemingly effortless looks. Starting with Seventh Generation’s skin serum as the foundation I've created a head-to-toe look.

With the stresses of everyday life, it is highly important to maintain a regular skin care regimen in order to keep your skin looking fresh and vibrant. It seems the older I get, the more sensitive my skin gets. If fact, I never had any type of problems with my skin (ie-acne) until wayyy after my college years. So when I  initially began to break out uncontrollably, I enlisted the help of a dermatologist who recommended to me a very inexpensive yet efficient remedy. 

I use the following products twice daily in order to keep my combination type skin from breaking out and getting out of control. 

Daily Skin Care Routine... by sherockwell featuring an oil free face wash

I alternate days with the Clean & Clear products so as not to exfoiliate too much.

All Natural Style Secret #1:  Rubbing alcohol doubles as a skin toner as well as a great makeup remover.

The Mederma is used to clear up any dark spots, while the CeraVe seals and moisturizes my skin. Recently, I added the Seventh Generation Soothing Boost Serum in order to add balance to any of my skin tone irregularities. This concentrated formula contains a soothing blend of Oat, Argan and Zi Cao and it smells AH-MAY-ZING. It's very absorbent, not heavy or oily so it won't clog my pores and it leaves my skin feeling like a baby's bottom.

Great skin care routines wouldn't be complete without great style to go along.

When I'm feeling confident about the skin I'm in I like to style myself in classically edgy looks such as this one.

Necklace/Clutch/Dress-NY&Co | Sandals-Target

There's nothing more attractive than a confident woman with beautiful skin!

So... 

All Natural Style Secret #2: Love the skin you're in by taking good care of it.

What are some of your favorite #AllNaturalStyleSecrets? I can't wait to hear from you! PS: Don't forget to vote for this post here. Thanks for reading. XOXOXOXO

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