Five Fall Faves

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Happy (almost) Fall!!! As the leaves start to change and the temperature cools here in the midwest my thoughts turn to my favorite pieces for casual outfits. My strategy is pretty straightforward.  Start with a foundation of a fitted tee and skinny jeans. Then add either black flats, ankle boots or riding boots. The "third layer" could be a soft cardigan, or a vegan leather jacket for a more edgy look. Add a scarf to jazz it up and your Fall Look is complete!

scarf, New York and Co.
fitted tee, Hollister, Karma Resale
skinny jeans, Levi's The Skinny, Walmart
ankle boots, Old Navy
cardigan, Old Navy

my FAVE black purse, Coach, featured in this post



My favorite way to wear a cardigan in "iffy" weather

 

Vegan leather jacket, JCPenney

As you turn your thoughts toward your own Fall Faves don't forget those gift cards that still may be lurking around the house from last Christmas, your last birthday, or maybe even 2 or 3 Christmases ago!!! Sometimes the gift cards we get aren't for a store that we frequent so they sit there not being put to good use. The folks at Raise.com have come up with a way to sell your unwanted gift cards here: http://www.raise.com/sell-gift-cards. Site users are also able to buy gift cards at a discount https://www.raise.com/buy-gift-cards.  I've got a Coldwater Creek gift card I'm going to sell. I've got my eye on either an AMC Theaters card at a 16% discount (cha-ching!) or an Old Navy card at a 10% discount (woot-woot!) What a great idea for us Frugal Fashionistas!
Leave me a comment letting me know your Five Fall Faves or what gift cards you plan to buy/sell and remember, you're beautiful!

A Timeless Combination

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Hello all! I've been on hiatus in the last few months due to planning and executing a trip to England for 5 in June, then life took over. Well, I'm happy to be back! Recently a good friend of mine and I took off on a road trip and ended up at this winery with the most awesome view, Aeries Winery in Grafton, IL. They had a great menu with live music. A little factoid:  the place you are viewing is the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.

Black ballet top, Limited, decades old
White skinny-ish jeans, Lauren Conrad, Kohl's, 2 yrs old
Summer purse, Cato, resale shop
Noat sandals, black, old

This outfit is just classic, in my opinion.......black, white and a punch of red works on most skin tones/hair colors. It also fits with one of my main fashion mantras: stick with solid color, classic pieces that can be mixed and matched & punched up with different accessories such as jewelry, purses, scarves, or a denim jacket. I believe it was Coco Chanel who said before you walk out the door, take one piece off.  For instance, I could've worn one of my many silver bracelets on the right wrist, but I chose not to to simplify the look. Less is more.

My friend and I had such fun on this outing! We ate at the winery, then indulged in ice cream and fudge, walked around down by the river and talked about the best way to stake tomato plants. We've been good friends since high school. Thanks S, you made my day!

Hey blog viewers.......I love to hear from you. Feel free to comment below. Do you have a favorite classic outfit color combination? Do you have a friend you've known for decades? Let me know below in the comments. Toodles!

ShoeaHolic No More: Guest Post: 10 Frugal Fashion Tips and Tricks

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Hey there blog viewers! Hop on over to shoeaholicnomore.blogspot.com to see my first ever

                                                       GUEST POST!!!



ShoeaHolic No More: Guest Post: 10 Frugal Fashion Tips and Tricks: Frugal Fashion Today's post is brought to you by Valerie from  Fast Frugal Fashion  and it is full of great tips to help you with fashio...



I'm so excited to share these Frugal Fashion Tips and Tricks with all of you and with her viewers as well.



Happy Viewing!

Neutral Shoes -- The Haul

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Hello everyone! One fashion principle that I've learned over the years is to have neutral bottoms and then jazz them up with colorful tops, scarves, statement necklaces, etc. This concept applies to shoes as well. In fact matching up the pant and shoe color is tres chic. Taking that a step further, matching up the shoe, hose color and skirt is a great look as well. So, two weeks ago the neutral shoe gods were smiling down upon me as I acquired a few SEVERAL pairs of neutral shoes. Feast your eyes....

black ankle strap espradilles, Walmart, $10
Going to wear these in England this June for tea at Fortnum & Mason's

Beige, ankle-strap, Seycelles-like wedges, Old Navy, $20
LOVE LOVES LOVE these!

Black, Seychelles-like wedge, ankle-strap sandals, Old Navy, $20

Spring, beige ankle boot, Old Navy, $20

Snakeskin cut-away flats, Old Navy, $20

For these last four at Old Navy I employed a new strategy of mine which definitely saves time. I go on the store website and zero in on some items I really like, then when I go in the store it's less overwhelming. I can zoom right to the items I came looking for, try them on and be in and out in 30 minutes. Remember, for us busy women it's gotta be fast, frugal and fashionable. I've had compliments on all the shoes in this bunch I've worn so far. I tell ya, you can't beat the price either. Similar wedge sandals seen on the latest post on Kendi Everyday go for $86. These were less than one fourth that price!!! So, here's to frugal, fashionable neutral shoes for the Spring and Summer. Happy outfit creating!

Solid Colors Rock the Easter Dress

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Happy Easter everyone!!! I was wondering what to wear this Easter Sunday as I have two sort-of "fall-back" Easter dresses. One is a floral print I picked up at Anne Taylor about 5 yrs ago, and the other is a white, drape-necked, fitted bottom (above-the-knee) dress I picked up at New York & Co. about 3 yrs ago. With both being above the knee, I usually apply self-tanning lotion 3 - 4 times at the knee/shin/calf area. The floral one I usually wear a fuschia shrug over and the white one I usually wear a coral swing knit jacket over. This year I discovered an amazing sale at Old Navy a week ago. 
Feast your eyes......

navy tank dress, Old Navy, recently
beige wedge sandals, Old Navy, recently
coral swing jacket, H & M, old

statement necklace, Old Navy, recent

This outfit holds true to one of my fashion mantras. Stick with basic, solid color pieces that will mix and match easily. It is then very easy to jazz up the outfit with accessories such as a scarf, a statement necklace, bold earrings, or a belt.

Happy Easter! Hope your day was pleasant and enjoyable. Look for an upcoming post that will feature these sandals that were purchased with several other neutral shoes recently -- THE HAUL!

Ode To A Librarian

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Where do you get your fashion inspiration from? I get mine from several sources: fashion blogs, TV, magazines, but mostly from people I meet every day. Case in point:  I was checking a book out from the library and the young librarian who checked me out had on a color combination that I wouldn't normally put together, but it looked fabulous! White, yellow and orange are a great "I'm yearning for spring" combination. Here's my best re-creation of her look:



cardigan sweater: Old Navy
yellow tank: resale shop (Old Navy)
orange scarf, New York and Co.
JAG jeans, What to Wear
boots, Kohls
earrings, Karma Resale Shop

The best part: I didn't have to go buy ANY of these pieces. I already had them in my closet!
This re-inforces my strategy of having great, interchangeable solid color pieces in my wardwrobe.







Spring has finally sprung in my part of the planet. I was able to wear sandals to work a few times already -- woot woot! Enjoy this lovely weather and let your fashion choices reflect your mood and be completely inspired! What inspires your fashion choices? Leave a comment below and share with all of us. Thanks for stopping by!

It's Against My Religion

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Generally speaking, I'm frugal when it comes to clothing and accessories. For me to spend three digits on an item, it better be something I can get A LOT of use out of, a classic piece that goes with several items I already own. One example of this is my "business suit". I think I spent between $100 and $150 on it. It's an Anne Klein dark navy poly/wool blend blazer and skirt with matching skinny belt. I can wear it to work or church. I can wear the jacket with other neutral pants. I've used the belt with completely different outfits. The skirt goes nicely with a sweater or dressy blouse.(sorry guys, no pic of this suit)  Another recent three digit purchase was this Coach purse.

 

 If I recall correctly, the final purchase price was $104 at a Coach Purse Outlet in Branson, MO. I was with my sister-in-law who is a Coach aficionado. She declared it a good selection and I was being cheered on my my brother and his partner. It was a fun day!

Tunic: fashion boutique in Germany
leggings: Divided, H&M
boots: Kohl's

necklace: gifted, St.Louis Art Museum

This handbag had several things in its favor: it can hang from either my shoulder or my forearm. It zips shut and it can stand on its own without falling over if I lay it down on the floor or the table. Plus it's a neutral color. So, even though it's against my religion to spend this much on a purse, I have definitely gotten my money's worth!

Fast Frugal Wedding Anniversary

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Hello! Hubby and I recently celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary -- woo hoo! The wedding was on March 2, 1996. It was a cold, clear and windy night. Our color was purple. The church was full of 200 of our family and friends. We had a lovely ceremony with three bridesmaids, three groomsmen, and a flower girl. A close friend sang two songs. My girlhood piano teacher played the wedding march. We had two pastors, one from my church and one from his(the church in which we met). The reception was fabulous. Our family friend (a florist) helped us transform the local Moose hall into an elegant candlelit space. The food was great. We hired a band(whose trumpet player I knew) and they played anything from Steely Dan to the Electric Slide to Ella Fitzgerald. It was the best night of my life! People remarked about how great the music was. We honeymooned in Jamaica.

Fast forward 18 years:  we have two beautiful sons (one who is 15 and one who is 10). We've lived in three different communities. Hubby stayed home for 5 years to raise our 1st son while I worked full time. We've traveled to England(with an 8 mos old!). We've taken trips to both coasts. We've weathered good times and bad. But we're still together.....warriors of love (as a friend once said).
So when it came time to mark our anniversary, the natural choice was to go out to eat without the kids. We are now able to have the teenager babysit. And to save money, we used a gift card we had from Christmas for 54th Street Grill. So, dressy casual was appropriate.

 black top, ANA, JCPenney

faux fur vest, Karma Resale

skinny jeans, Levi Stauss & Co., "The Skinny", Walmart

Ankle boots, Bare Traps, Shoe Carnival

 

                    Our waiter was so great. He even brought us a dessert to share on the house.

Pale pink roses from Hubby!

 

                       Cue the music....."Happy Anniversary Baby.....got you on my..........mind!"

Foundational Pieces

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Hope you are all surviving this incredible winter we've been having. Lately I've been thinking about those few "work-horse" pieces that are a must in every wardwrobe. You know, the black dress pant, a good "business suit", other neutral colored pants, solid colored tops, comfortable dress shoes, a neutral fashionable handbag, and several scarfs to punch up the color interest. I'll address accessories in a different post. But today, I'd like to focus on two pieces that I use a lot together: the ivory turtleneck and camel dress pants.  These can look great on their own with a statement necklace or provide a great foundation for other pieces to layer over them.

Ivory turtleneck, Mossimo, Goodwill

camel dresspants, Liz Claiborne, gifted

Elle mules, Goodwill

 

Add color interest with a statement necklace, Karma resale

Throw on a faux fur vest for instant winter fun!!

faux fur vest, Karma resale shop

 

                                              Navy shrug, New York and Company
                                                Necklace, New York and Company

                                                  

                                                            tiger stripe cardigan, H & M
                                                    necklace, Rag Doll Clothing Exchange

                             A little trick I've learned when I'm tired of winter is to add a touch of coral...
                                                              coral knit swing cardigan, H&M

                                                        black sweater vest, JCPenney
                                                        fuschia scarf, Karma resale shop
                                                    rhinestone earrings, Karma resale shop

What are some of your favorite foundational pieces in your wardwrobe? Leave a comment below. I love to hear from all of you!! Spring's just around the corner....

Sweater Bonanza

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I don't know what the weather's like where you are but this has been one of the coldest winters I can remember. One of the best things about winter is picking out cute sweaters to wear. Pair it with some jeans and boots and woila.....a dressy yet casual look you can wear on date night, to coffee with a girlfriend, even church. I recently visited a Goodwill thrift shop in my area and hit the motherload. Feast your eyes...

 Sweater dress, Cato, Goodwill

Turtleneck, Merona, Goodwill last year

leggings, old

boots, Kohls

necklace, Karma Resale Shop, Glen Carbon, IL

 

 Sweater vest, from ITALY!!! , Goodwill

turtleneck, Merona, Goodwill last yr.

Cato jeans, old

mules, Elle, Goodwill several yrs ago

 

 cowl neck sweater, Goodwill

Cato jeans, old

boots, Payless Shoe Source, old

 

 sweater, Mossimo, Goodwill

magenta Coobie under sweater, Studo Gaia, Edwardsville, IL

necklace, Goodwill

Cato jeans, old

Elle mules, Goodwill several yrs ago

 

 earrings, Karma Resale Shop, Glen Carbon, IL

necklace, gifted

make-up, Mary Kay (blush, strawberry cream; lipstick, raisinberry)

What's your favorite way to stay warm this winter? Cozy sweaters? Fuzzy slippers? Hot chocolate?
Let me know in the comments below. Until next time......happy shopping!

Fast Frugal Formalwear

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Recently hubby and I had a chance to attend a banquet in "the big city" as my dad says. We took the opportunity to really get dressed up. What a great time we had! Got to meet some new friends, have a wonderful meal, hear a great speaker and then strut our stuff on the dance floor. It was very cold that night and I was able to score this full length dressy overcoat at my favorite new resale shop "Karma". As I was purchasing it the owner told me "I've already had 5 calls on this coat today." (It had been displayed in her front window for a few days.) As they say......timing is everything!

 

Dress: (old), Sears, worn at brother-in-law's wedding, 2001

Shoes: Payless shoe source

Coat: Forever 21, Karma Clothing & Accessories https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Karma-Clothing-and-Accessories/180118455334033

Clutch: Rag Doll Clothing Exchange

Jewelry: Kohl's

Lipstick: Raisinberry, Mary Kay

 

 

Hubby's suit, local men's clothier(now out of business)

Tie: Beatles, Of Course!!!

Shoes: Famous Footwear

Glasses: Rayban, Crown Vision Center, Edwardsville, IL

Shirt:  Ralph Lauren, yard sale...WAY before I knew him!

 

 



 

We clean up good, don't we?!?!

 

 

Just to illustrate that a good, basic black dress can be used over & over...

I wore it September 2013 for a photo shoot at a refinery

http://tomatwood.net/

 

Here's to dress-up occasions! It seems like we dress up less and less now-a-days. I hope you get a chance to dress up at least once or twice per year. I know I LOVE it! When's the last time you got really gussied up? Leave a note in the comments below and let me know. What did you wear? Thanks for stopping by and have a fun, frugal, fashionable week!