Day 17: Alternative- Break a Rule

Today's original prompt was to take something out of your repair pile, repair it, and wear it.  But I don't really have a repair pile, because I'm not very crafty or good at fixing things.  So Kayla's alternative was to break a fashion rule.  I know this rule doesn't really apply anymore, but I wore two different patterns.

top- Express; cardi-Gap; skirt- Loft; shoes- Target; necklace-Tiffany & Co.

I know that most fashion rules these days are outdated and get challenged daily.  That's why I wasn't sure if this would count as "breaking a fashion rule."  But this would usually be outside of my comfort zone.  Especially mixing the taupe on the skirt, gray on the shirt, pink cardi, and teal shoes!!!  But that is what this blog and 21 day challenge are for right?! To challenge myself. 
I found several pairs of blue jean shorts at Target today.  They were on clearance for $8.  I have a few Target Q' for $5 off women's denim.  I'm super excited, because I am going back to get a few pairs of $3 shorts!  Tomorrow is the start of a new month, so I'm going to buy something dammit!  I think I even said I would extend this challenge until the end of the 21 day challenge.  But come on people, $3 blue jean shorts!  I can't pass it up.  Plus, the Q's expire on Friday.  I still have a good while of smoldering hot weather here in Louisiana. 
Check out the Kayla & the other participants.
XO-Heather

Day 16- Menswear

Today's prompt was to rock a menswear inspired look.  I chose a V-neck tee, dress pants, and a blazer.  I considered wearing a button-up, but it's just too hot around here!  I figured the blazer was removable in case I start to die of a heat stroke.

tee- Target boyfriend tee
blazer- Old Navy
pants- the Limited
shoes- DSW

I have a confession to make... I bought this t-shirt on Saturday.  Does that break my challenge?  I mean, it's just a tee...
I've seen a lot of people with these boyfriend tees from Target lately.  And I've heard a lot about them.  Linley raves about them on her blog, Dwelling & Telling.  They're usually sold out of them at my Target.  But I found this hunter green in my size.  They are regularly $8.  But there was a Target coupon, to print from their website, for $3 off any Missimo item.  So I got it for $5.  It's really soft and very comfortable.  I have a million different fitted t-shirts.  But I like them long, like this one.  And it's hard to find them in a longer length sometimes.
I said in the original post that it would only be clothing (not accessories) since that's what i have an abundance of.  So for the entire month all I have bought myself is a t-shirt for $5.  Husband bought me this striped top with cut-out shoulders for $7.  I also bought a pair of $7 faux snakeskin pumps from Target and a leather carry-all pouch from American Apparel for $50.  I think I did pretty good.  The only time I slipped up was for a t-shirt for 30 days!  This is coming from someone who went to Loft at least once a week on her lunch break to shop in the past few months.  But now my wish list on Pinterest is quickly growing.  So I can't wait to shop again!!!! 
Make sure to check out the other participants in today's challenge.  
XO-Heather

Day 14- Copycat

Sorry I've been MIA for a few days.  I wasn't feeling too good on Friday.  The prompt was to Jazz up your jeans.  I can't wear jeans to work, and I didn't go anywhere after work.  So I skipped that day.  Then the next day was Neutral with a Pop, but I didn't get dressed all day.  I was too lazy.
This prompt was actually for Sunday, but I'm just getting around to posting it.  Now I'm a day behind.  But I'm ok with it, because today's prompt is to do something new with your hair.  My hair is in an awkward in between stages right now.  So I have a hard time trying anything new.  It's too short for a lot of things.

After all that rambling...  The point I'm getting to is that today I am copying one of my favorite bloggers, J!
I love her style, and I try to mimic her often.  She also keeps an open discussion and Q&A on her facebook page.  I love this, because she answers people's questions and gives great fashion advice. 

via J's Everyday Fashion

dress- Loft; belt- F21 ;necklace- JCP; shoes- Steve Madden via Platos' Closet

The outfits are a little different.  The color of my dress is a lot closer to her's than it looks.  It's more of a coral than orange.  But the flash makes it look very orange.  I was being too lazy this morning to wear any wedges.  I wanted to be comfortable.  Fred decided to get out of the back yard and chase cats around the neighborhood 5 minutes before I had to leave this morning.  So I was in a hurry to finish up and get out of the door.
Hope everyone has a great week!
XO-Heather 

Day 11- Wear a Dress or a Skirt

Today's prompt is to wear a skirt or a dress. I realized that I had not worn my remix item again yet.  So I thought today would be a great day.  But I was headed to one of the offices for an orientation this morning, and I realized that I wore the same dress last time I was there.  Normally, I wouldn't care about that kind of stuff.  But considering I only see these people once or twice a month I didn't want to wear the same thing.  So I didn't something that I am VERY proud of.  I wore it as a shirt.  A dress and a skirt in the same outfit!  How's that for over-achieving?

dress as a shirt (my remix item 2nd time)- Target
belt- F21
skirt- Loft
shoes- DSW

Day 10- Closet Orphan

I've had this green blouse for about three years now.  I used to wear it a lot, but I haven't worn it in a while.  I actually attempted to give it away a few different times, but I held onto it.   
It came with a green tie belt, and that is what I used to wear with it.  But this morning I thought I would change it up a bit  to see if it makes me like it any more.  And I think i do like it much better.  Maybe I will keep it after all!

blouse- JCP; belt- JCP; pants- Loft; shoes- Target

XO-Heather

Day 9- Monochromatic

Today I was being lazy.  I overslept.  I didn't really feel like dressing up, and I wanted to be comfortable.  I had all intentions to put together a cute outfit with color, but I went for black on black with a pink undershirt, gold jewelery, and leopard flats! 

shirt- Charlotte Russe; pants- Belk; shoes- Coach; long necklace- F21; short necklace- gift from mom

I have had these wide leg pants since high school.  I think I bought them to wear to a job interview I had my senior year working for the Parish Clerk of Court.  I wear them at least once a week every week.  They are super comfortable.  I love that they are the perfect length for flats.  I think they came off the clearance rack from Belk too.  I don't even know the brand, but they have held up really well. 
It seems like they make pants for giants these days!  I think I'm average height, 5'6", but all the pants I buy are way too long now.  I hope they last forever, because it's so hard to find good pants that have all the qualities I want.
And this is just to make you smile!   

Mocha in the clothes basket

XO-Heather 

Day 8- Dressy + Casual

This is my perfect work outfit.  The shirt is cool for the summer, but still dressy.  And the pants are super comfy.  I was worried about what to wear when I read to mix fancy and casual.  But I figured this feminine, lacy, pink shirt and shoes are dressy, while the military green capris are pretty casual. 
I love mixing military green with unexpected tops.  If you follow me on Pinterest you can see my outfit inspiration board has a lot of military inspired outfits. 

shirt- Frock Candy; pants- JCP; shoes- Aldo

Hope everyone is having a great Monday! 
XO-Heather

Day 6- Unconventional

I totally stole this idea from Liz at 26 and Counting.  I never thought about wearing a romper as a shirt.  I've seen a dress as a shirt or a skirt.  But I thought her idea was genius!

romper- Target; shoes- Target; belt- F21; necklace- F21

The first look is very casual for lunch, running errands, or shopping...

skirt- F21; shoes- DSW

The second look is the creative, unconventional way to wear the romper.  I loved this challenge!  It was fun to get creative.  I really liked to see how the other participants got creative!

On another note- Mocha got a haircut today, which was long over due.  Take a look at her before and after! 

XO-Heather

Day 5- Belt It

Now today is my kinda prompt!  I love to belt anything!!!  My favorite things to belt are cardigans and dresses.  I learned how to tie my belts from Linley @ Dwelling & Telling. 
I think belts are such easy accessories.  I don't usually wear a lot of other accessories- maybe a necklace here and there.  But I'm not real into scarves- except in the winter.  So I love the belts add something to what could be a very plain outfit.  A lot of times its a great way to add color too. 

dress- Old Navy; cardi- JCP; belt- Target; shoes- Target

I am so happy today is Friday.  It's been a rough week at work.  So for the rest of the night I'm relaxing with a (few) Skinny Girl Sangria(s) and reading Catching Fire.
XO-Heather

Day 4- Color Blocking

I am guilty of wearing this outfit twice on the blog in my very first post.  But I really loved it.  Also, I don't have many solid colored bottoms.  So this skirt is the best option.  I found it at a thrift store for $4.  And I just love the red with it.

tee- Loft; skirt- thrifted; neclace- Loft; shoes- Aldo via Amazon

You can check out the other participants here.  And I just realized my outfit is pretty similar to Kayla's!
XO-Heather

Day 3- Pattern Mixing

My very first attempt at pattern mixing was for EBEW.  It still makes me really nervous so I went with a very neutral bottom. 

top- Ann Taylor outlet; skirt- Target; shoes- DSW; necklace- F21

The very first thing I noticed after looking at these pics is how EXTREMELY white and pasty I am.  I had a tan a few weeks ago from the beach.  What happened?!  I then realized I shouldn't wear these shoes without a tan, because they blend in.
I love this skirt.  It's really comfy, goes with almost anything, and it was $7 from Target's clearance rack!

I attempted to take my pictures outside this morning to get better lighting.  BAD IDEA!  Well, it is 90 degrees at 7 am with 75% humidity.  So it took 5 minutes to get all of the fog off my lens.  Then I was sweating and my hair started to frizz.  So I had to come back in, cool off, and put my hair up.  By that time I had to leave without eating breakfast!  I won't be doing that again in the summertime.  It was a disaster!  Take a look...

Fred's head was in the way and my grass is really tall!

Take a look at the other participants here!
XO-Heather

21 Day Challenge- Day 2- Tuck It!

Today's prompt is to "tuck it in."  I used to feel really self-conscious about tucking my shirts in until a few months ago.  I felt really awkward, but I realized that the pants make a big difference.  I think high-waisted pants look a lot better with a tucked in shirt.  I wish I could pull off the half-tuck like Linley or the front-tuck like Kendi, but it looks like I just left the restroom in a hurry, while they make it look so chic!

blouse- Loft; pants- Loft; belt- Target; shoes- DSW

You can see Mocha sleeping on the couch in the first one!  You can check out how the other participants tuck it in here. 
XO-Heather

21 Day Challenge- Day 1- Remix it!

I am participating in the 21 Day Challenge.  So for the next 21 days I will be out off of my normal schedule.  I'll (hopefully) be posting outfits each day.
I've also decided to extend my shopping ban until the end of the challenge, which is September 4th (4 extra days!)  BTW, I've done great so far.  I bought a cute pair of clearance pumps from Target today for $6!!  But the shopping ban was against clothes, not accessories.  Since that is what I have an overflow of.  So 15 days in- I'm still good!     
Today is the first day of the challenge.  The prompt for today is to pick an item to remix at least 3 times over the course of the challenge.  I chose this black Mossimo dress from Target.  I bought it off the sale rack several months ago for $10!  It's super comfy, but wrinkles quickly.  This dress is a blank slate for a ton of different options and accessories.  So I knew this would be a great pick to remix.
So here's the first remix: simple, casual, with a little pink flower added! 

dress- Target; shoes- Target

you can see Mocha's tail! ha!

Sorry for the crappy picture quality.  I didn't realize but the lens on my camera had some kind of film on it.

Look at this sweet pup with his new toy!

Frugal Friday- Save to Spend

I just realized my blog turned one month old yesterday!!! 

One of my favorite parts of using coupons and being frugal is that it frees up my money to spend it elsewhere.  What's the fun in pinching pennies if you have none left to do anything with?

 The grocery, health & beauty items, and household budgets are one place anyone can really manipulate.  Our gas/car budget is set and there is really nothing we can do about that.  The husband and I both commute.  So it's not like we can just not buy gas... We have a miscellaneous category that random things and emergencies fall into so that we don't have to pull money out of savings.  Keeping a tight watch on the things that we can help allows us to do fun things together and splurge a little.

image source

One area I splurge in is my hair.  I like to go to a nice salon to get my hair cut and colored.  I've tried going the cheap route in that department, and it never turned out in my favor.  I have fine hair, and I'm picky about the shade of blond that my hair is.  So to me, it is worth it to splurge in the first place.  If not, would you have to pay someone to fix it and pay double?  That has definitely happened to me before.  So I learned to fork up a little more up front so that I can feel good about the way I look.

The husband is really picky about clothes.  So while I can find a $1 pair of jeans, a nice $25 outfit from Loft, and shoes from Payless... The husband only wears certain brands, but they last him for a long time while I change how I dress often.  Now I make sure we buy them when they are on sale or at the outlet, but he's not wearing a shirt from Target.  I think it's a little harder to imitate nice Men's clothes and shoes.  We're both ok with it since we plan for it.      

Another area we splurge in is our entertainment budget.  This probably sounds like a lot of money, but we each get $100/week cash to spend on whatever we want.  I call this "play money."  We go out the eat together on the weekends, go out with friends, go to the movies, eat lunch with co-workers occasionally, take trips (Vegas in November), and go shopping.  When the $200 total runs out... That's it! 

NYC 2005

snow-mobiling in SD 2008

TN 2009

Destin 2011

So you're probably thinking... If you're so frugal why do you waste $800-$1000/month on eating out, etc... But to us, right now, that is what's important.  We don't have kids yet.  So why not have fun and make memories together and with our friends while we have our freedom (ha)?!  Once we start a family that money will go to daycare, diapers, and food.... So I want to enjoy it now.

So while I am really picky about how much I will fork out on groceries, household products, and health & beauty items I have the freedom to have fun with my friends and husband while we can!   

So what do you splurge on?  Do you budget for your splurges?
Happy Friday!
XO-Heather