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Monday, March 31, 2014

Ode To A Librarian

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!

Sunday, March 23, 2014

It's Against My Religion

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!

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Fast Frugal Wedding Anniversary

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!"