To the Max

Well, that warm weather is here and it is just calling for some maxi dresses. For me, they are just the perfect fit for summertime. So easy and breezy – light and fun. You can be so creative with how you accesorize them, as well. Maybe add a structured blazer or cardigan on top, a great belt and some fabulous jewelry and you have one styled look for these hot, upcoming months. Here are a few that I found on Pinterest (my new fave go-to site!) that I adore, what do you think? Happy maxing!

Bold colors this season – http://pinterest.com/pin/257901516131160930/

LOVE the stripes – http://pinterest.com/pin/257197828689424900/

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Pockets!! A MUST have – http://pinterest.com/pin/118289927682736976/

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The jacket pulls this look together – http://pinterest.com/pin/175921929163651112/

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What’s Your Definition of Beauty?

I recently had the pleasure of answering this question for a contest that More magazine was running. It really made me take a step back and truly ponder this question. I think I came up with a version of beauty that was fitting for me and my life – what’s yours?

Oh, and if you like my essay you can vote on it!! Thanks!!

http://www.more.com/events/contests/beauty-search-2012/faith-rim

Reinvent Your Style

I found this slideshow from RealSimple and I am LOVING it! Some great tips to bring your wardrobe from drab to fab – without spending your life’s savings. There are tips here for everyone – from the prepster to the minimalist. Check it out if you’re ready to kick it up a notch this spring!

http://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/clothing/change-style-00100000072847/index.html#1

It PAY$ to be PATIENT

I had been eyeing this olive and brown sweater/blazer from the LOFT for months…literally. I would visit their website an obscene amount of times – always checking on it – $118.00 at full price, making sure it was still there, making sure it was waiting for me. I was like a cheetah ready to pounce on her prey. Then the moment of action came – I received THE email. The email that said all sweaters were on sale for $12.88. I knew I had to act fast and I did. I headed over to my favorite LOFT (the one that always has the largest sale area) and my heart was pounding heavily. I stared blankly at the rows of sweaters – all of them a mere $12.88. I shook my head, “don’t get distracted, “ I commanded. I had to go in for the kill.

Immediately I started thumbing through racks, searching for the infamous sweater. The search became more frantic, more hurried as the sweat began to form on my forehead. (It always seems hotter in the sale aisles, no?) Could I have lost it? Could someone else have bought my sweater? The very thought of it made me race through the racks faster.  Then I saw it. (And the choir-like music played in my head) One olive and brown striped cardigan/blazer left, and it was in my size…it was mine – all mine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I quickly brought my findings up to the register I could hardly keep a straight face. I had stalked this sweater for a while now thinking about how it would look with this great pair of jeans I had. My patience had paid off; I knew I was not going to pay $118.00 for this item nor did I think it was even worth that much. However, I gambled that it would still be available and I would be able to purchase it for a fair price. Uh, yes I would call $12.88 fair :) It was a risk I was willing to take and I won! Not only did I bring home this fab sweater but I also found a few other deals that were too good to resist. These items, full price were over $400.00 all together…I paid $44.00 for them all! A great day for me and my wardrobe!

This little experience made me realize that if I could be that patient for a sweater, I should be as patient, no – more patient in other areas of my life. I’m reminded of a verse that says, “let patience have her perfect work in you.” (Yes, patience is a “she”) The reward of my highly discounted frock brought such happiness to me, how much more joy could I experience in my life if I let patience guide it?  Food for thought…while you are flipping through racks at the LOFT to find your perfectly perfect sweater. :)

STOP: do NOT throw out that T-shirt! Upcycle it!

I am slightly gitty about the ways that I have learned to take an old tee and turn it into something (or multiple things!) absolutely fabulous! Here it is, worn out T-shirt into uber-chic pillow:

Take an old t-shirt, preferably with something written or pictured across the front. Place it on a large workspace and smooth out the surface. Mark a square out with fabric chalk – however big you want your pillow to be . Then make another square inside of the large square – about a 3″ line  from the sides and 2 1/2″ from the top and bottom of the shirt. Then cut the large square out, careful to cut BOTH the top and bottom layer of the tee. Keep it flat on your work surface.

Then take your scissors and cut 1 ” indents from the outside of the square to the inside, marked square – all the way around and through both layers. You can cut the corners off.

Now, keeping the two layers together, start tying each top and bottom coordinating 1″ strip.

Tie 3 sides and then slide an old pillow through the top or fill with stuffing.

Then finish tying off the top of the pillow and make sure all ties are secure.

There you have it!

Your no sew t-shirt pillow! SO cute! Check out mine below, perfect for my theatre/sports memorabilia room.

And for all of you wondering about that bottom piece of the t-shirt that you cut off…uh huh, keep that, too! You can make them into ultra fabulous infinity scarves!

I hope you try this totally easy way to make something so cool out of…almost nothing. What a great gift idea, eh? (You could BUY a new t-shirt if you’re thinking gift item!) I may have gotten carried away here…and my husband may be searching for some of his fave t-shirts. Oops. Happy t-shirt-hunting! :)

 

Steal a Deal this January

Ahhhh… we can finally all breathe and once again see our carpeting that was hidden underneath crumpled wrapping paper, tinsel and empty cardboard boxes. Our houses are back to normal, decorations are down, put away and yes, we have survived another lovely holiday season with family and friends.

And just when you thought you could NEVER shop again, yes, the time has come! These next two or three weeks offer us, as consumers, irresistible deals wherever you look. If you are in a mall or driving past a store you will now start seeing flashy signs such as “semi-annual clearance”, “take an extra 50% off” and my favorite, “3 days only sale starts NOW”. All of these translate to, “PLEASE come into our stores and help us clear out our winter merchandise that’s left over so that we can bust out our spring 2012 lines”. This means big savings for us!

Some things to ponder if you decide to take these stores up on their offers over the next few weeks:

 - If you are purchasing an item in a store that says, ” take an additional 40% or 50% off your total purchase”, make sure that’s exactly what the cashier does for you.  Sometimes, the register does not automatically take the reductions off of the prices and you are left wondering how much you really saved. My advice? Do some quick math before you get to the register and figure out approximately what your total will be. If your items ring up for more, challenge the cashier and more than likely he or she will adjust for you.

 - When strolling through the aisle of your favorite clothing store, look for items that are classic, not trendy. If you are buying a “faddish” item at the end of its season, chances are it will be totally out of style by next winter. Then you are not even saving money, you are wasting money! So skip that pair of skinny jeans…wide leg jeans/trousers are totally in for spring/summer 2011. My advice? Go for the more traditional pieces that can be mixed and matched for years to come.  Think cardigans, corduroys, black pants, boyfriend blazers…items that can make endless outfits if paired correctly.

Some sales that I think are worth the trip: Banana Republic, LOFT, The Gap, Talbots, J Crew…so many others, but that should keep us all busy for a while! I visited Banana, LOFT and The Gap today and got some pretty amazing items for UNDER $10. Uhm, yes – ridiculous!

Happy shopping :-)