Fashionology: If the shoe fits...

Fashionology

2.8.11

If the shoe fits, you're still screwed if you can't afford it.

(yes, you can quote me on that.)

As I begin blogging more and more about outfits and my wardrobe, I should probably just lay this out there, because I'm always asked: I don't have simply two or three particular stores that I shop at exclusively. It will probably shock you where I actually find some of the items in my wardrobe. One day I will list all of my favorite stores and where I could shop if I could afford to, but for now just know that most of the places I shop at on a regular basis are not necessarily on my list of favorite stores. I use all of my favorite stores and their latest trends as inspiration, so I think it's a good idea to always keep up with what's going on with designers or clothing lines that you like... even if you can't afford them at that moment.

I don't care where it's from, as long as it's cute, and as long as it's a bargain. The main thing I look at when I'm shopping is the price, and that's my bottom line. Although I do enjoy "high end" fashion every now and then, I am still a pastor's wife... not a doctor's wife. Because of my love for clothes, fashion and the constant desire to create new looks, my husband is gracious enough to give me my very own "clothes" portion in our monthly budget. I am passionate about the fact that you don't have to make a ton of money or spend over $100 an item to have a great wardrobe. I do believe and know from experience that high-end fashion usually means higher quality and longer wear, but it's definitely not a necessity to creating a trendy look.

This might shock some, but if I spend over $12 on a shirt, you better believe that I:

A. LOVE the shirt

B. Really NEEDED the shirt, or

C. It just looked really stinkin' CUTE on me or was very FLATTERING

If shopping were an olympic event, I would definitely have a chance at participating in the games, but if BARGAIN shopping were an olympic event, I'd be up for the gold. It's all about knowing where to go, what department to shop in once you are there, and going often enough to catch the good stuff. If one singe piece of clothing is over $20, I ask myself if I love it enough to spend $100 on it. If the answer is no, it goes back on the rack. If the answer is yes, I'll walk around with it for a few minutes. I have found that walking around for a while, before heading up to the register is a great way to filter out some of the spontaneous shopping habits that grab ahold of some of us so tightly! (my hand is in the air!) When your budget is a major factor, or if you are just trying to stretch it a little and get more for your money, always weigh out the pro's and cons...

Is it too similar to something I already have?

Is it flattering on me?

What does my shopping budget look like?

Is there something else I want/need more?

Is it a want? If so, would I want it this bad if it cast $100?

Is it a need?

Can I find it somewhere at a better price?

If it is a lower-quality brand, how many times can it be washed before it falls apart or shrinks?

....just a few of the thoughts that runt through my head.

So with all of that being said, although I may not like 90% of the things that Old Navy comes out with... I can usually find something on their clearance rack that works well for me. So although it is not even close to being one of my favorite stores, I hit it up every now and then. In this case, I got an email about a clearance event they were having, clicked on a link and ended up finding three VERY cute shirts under $5 and two that were under $10. Here's one of them...

Shirt: Old Navy.com - clearance for $5.97

Cardigan: Banana Republic - $? - from approx. 2 years ago, it's still a staple in my closet

Belt: Thrift Store - $1

Jeans: Khol's $17.99 "SO super skinny jeans" (These I love because they do not lose their shape, they are long enough for me to wear with flats, the legs are not baggy on me at all, and they were a great price. You can find them in the jr. dept.)

Boots: Charlotte Russe $39.99 (boots are something that I didn't mind investing in when I lived up north and had to deal with snow all of the time, but this year I really struggled with spending more than $50 on something that I could only wear for a few short months. These were a great price and have held up perfectly so far this winter.)

I wore this outfit for a day of shopping with my little sister, mother-in-law and best friend. We hit up some thrift stores, Hobby Lobby, Pier One, and a few others before meeting up with our men for a delicious dinner at Chuy's. I love Chuy's because it's an "Austin original" restaurant that has now opened several locations in the Houston area.

Fashionology: it's a no make-up kind of day

No-make-up.

Messy hair.

New sweater.

New-ish coat.

Favorite, giant, over-sized, super warm scarf.

My favorite boots.

Coffee.

My books.

Productive work day.

I think I just showed this Tuesday who's boss.

PAPER ROUTE

If you are a music lover, listen up...

If you are a lover of good quality music, that has the ability to captivate your spirit, and really move your heart, then you need to check out the band Paper Route.

I have been to more shows and concerts than I can even count, and I think after last night I finally decided that they are now at the top of my favorite "live" show list.

Go check out their tour dates on facebook or myspace... or their website and DO WHAT YOU CAN to get there!

I PROMISE you their music is just as amazing... if not better live than it is on their albums. (In my opinion, not many bands can say that.)

I have had the chance to meet and hang out with the band and on top of incredible talent, these guys all have amazing hearts and pursue all the right things in life. Their inspiration carries well beyond their music.

Before I ever moved to Illinois and before me and Seth were ever an "item" I met his best friend Josh when he came to visit Seth in Austin. Josh came with Seth to pick me up from the airport when I moved up here and now has grown to be one of my closest friends. Him and my husband together can make me laugh for days. He is a touring member of the band and plays the guitar, drums, accordion and some other lovely things. We got to spend some much needed time with him last night... so anyways. You've heard enough details, GO CHECK THEM OUT!

(sorry that most of the pictures are of Josh, I took them for his mama!)

Of course me and my love...


Me and my brother-in-law... who just happens to be a world class tattoo artist in St. Louis at Iron Age Studios. Go look him up too!

The three amigos.

Me and Sean, representing.

I LOOOOOOVE the city!!! Love, love, love it.

Go be You!

Do something today that is "sooooo you!"

For instance... this morning I had a box of junior mints with my coffee.

You should try the combo sometime... make sure it's black coffee though! For years I couldn't bring myself to drink black coffee, but with all of my travels, a lot of times that was all that was available. A dear coffee loving friend that I traveled with quite often once taught me a lovely little trick, that has now become a staple in my life. Pop in a piece of extremely "minty" gum, or very strong mints, or anything of the sort, WHILE you drink your coffee black. The outcome is magical! And now, with or without a strong mint, I can drink my coffee black, and usually prefer to. As a result of this amazing discovery, I stumbled across a box of Junior Mints in the store one day and thought to myself "hmmmmm... this might just go really well with some coffee!" It is now one of my fall and winter time favorites! If you see me around, odds are I have a giant box of junior mints in my purse. All of my friends know this, and it is a very "me" thing to do. So.... think of your own "ME" thing today and DO IT!

Depending on my mood, this picture could have soooooo been a "me" thing. Sometimes you just need to dress with some funk... or at least I do.

I don't dress to impress, I dress to express.

Some days you need an exclamation mark on how you are expressing yourself.


Whether it's a funky outfit, your favorite food that no one else seems to like, laughing obnoxiously loud, weird music, creative art, a habit, thinking out side of the box, a secret indulgence, silly activity...

I don't even want to hear any excuses! Just GO!

=)

HELP!

THESE???:

OR THESE???:

Put on a happy face... and some pretty clothes

I had yet another weird day yesterday. Not so much another "gray" day, but a lot just caught me off guard. It started off on a total high, by the time I left work I was totally stressed out and full of anxiety, and by the time I went to bed, I was absolutely fried mentally, emotionally and even spiritually. Then Kai just seemed like he couldn't get to that deep peaceful state of sleep. He was up, off and on, all night.

Today I'm excited about our trip to Texas, but today is one of those days that just call for pretty clothes and high heels.

Sometimes it's better than medicine.

New Hair!

Well, it's not NEW. It's MY hair... it's just been updated with a color brightening and a little bit of shaping.

I LOVE.... let me say it again, L-O-V-E having long hair! I'm glad I went through all of the agonizing stages of growing it out.

I don't really change it too much now that it's long, but this time I did go a little brighter on top, trying to go back a little more towards my natural red color. Annie did a remarkable job, as always.

and this happens to by my new favorite necklace...

The Fall Line-up

We all know that fall means pumpkin spices, and candles and pretty colors, BUT it also means amazing opportunities for your wardrobe! I LOVE dressing in the fall! Especially the shoes part!

My goal is to have acquired numbers 2, 3, 4, and maybe 10 and 11 by winter. I Love #'s 5 and 12, as well.

These are just some of my favorites, and by no means are my favorites limited to this list!

I had a list of where you could find each of these shoes... except #1 because I can't find then ANYWHERE!... BUT I lost the document that I had it saved on. So you will just have to drool. BUT if you happen to love one so much you just can't live without it, leave a comment and I will try to find it.

I Heart Jewelry.

A few times I have had people ask me how I store all of my jewelry. There is a TON of it and organizing it with limited space can be tough to accomplish. I have found some key items that really help me out. Here is a quick run down...

I think that having a good jewelry armoire or a piece of furniture that looks good but is functional is key.

Here is mine:

I never put my wedding ring and ichthus ring away. I'm either wearing them or am in bed, so they stay here.

Chunky bangles... and my ipod and a pic of my and my love! =)

Necklaces:

I LOVE this thing that I use for my earrings. I'm about to buy another one. Complete with pics of my little sisters, so I get to see them every day! =)

More fragile necklaces that tangle easily, rings, metal bangles, and my Brighton "mommy" bracelet...

I have a small separate little jewelry box that Seth bought me one year that I keep my valuable jewelry in:

I hang my long necklaces in my closet.

I have a shoe keeper on the back of my closet door that holds all of my excess jewelry, sunglasses, watches, lotions, perfumes, etc...

I also have a few little decor items around our room that I use as jewelry holders for the stuff that I don't wear as often, but refuse to get rid of. It's all about functionality and making it make sense to you.

Warning: This post is RIDICULOUS!

Lately, I find myself saying more and more to Seth, "I think I'm loosing my mind!" Being a new mom, plus being a graphic designer for a large, and rapidly growing church, PLUS doing a cupcake business on the side, and helping my Youth Pastor husband keep up with over 100 jr. high and high school students.... well, loosing my mind on occasion is bound to happen!

If I did indeed lose my mind over the past few months, I think I found it when I FINALLY cleaned out my purse. Every time I went to try to dig for something in my purse, a wave of anxiety would flood over me. I just haven't had the time to clean it out! We have seriously been THAT busy... and whenever I have spare time, cleaning out my purse just isn't a priority, so the end result is a travesty! It was so shocking and comical (to me at least!) that I had to document the insanity!

Here's a walk through:

Of course baby items where in there... pacis, paci clips, even some baby Motrin. Lots of loose change. The case for my in-ear monitors for when it's my week to lead worship... my little calendar and note pad, and gobs of pens.... and a feather for my hair. =)

THIS is the ridiculous amount of jewelry that was all floating around somewhere in the black hole that is otherwise known as my purse.

I'm almost ashamed of this: I usually start off with one or two tubes of lip gloss, but as I need different colors, I grab it when I a running out the door usually and just add it to the collection....

This was my music for the week, along with my tanning lotion, MAC lip rouge, cupcake earring that someone bought me as a gift, airborne, and the key to the company car, our minivan.

The End.

Let's Play Dress-up on this Muggy Monday!