My obsession

I have to admit, if I have one style obsession, it would have to be all things monogram. I am so truly southern when it comes to this. If it was acceptable, I would wear something monogram with every outfit! I do show some restraint where this is concerned and try not to do it on a DAILY basis.... Haha. Take a totally plain outfit and add a monogram and it can totally make the outfit. Here are a few examples of monogram items I am currently loving!

 {link - http://jane.com/deal/28038/monogrammed-earrings}

Just ordered these earrings last week and I'm loving them. Know they will add some flair to many outfits and the price is unbeatable!!

{link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/194163800/monogram-shorts?ref=sr_gallery_37&ga_search_query=Monogram+shorts&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=3&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery}

I also ordered these shorts at the beginning of the summer. They are so fun to wear on my casual days (which is almost daily).

Another style obsession for me is the color black. I don't show restraint in this area and I'm pretty sure about 99% of the time my outfit involves the color black. Because of this, cute accessories are a must. I love this scarf. It's so cute with all my black tops and dresses.

{link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/158785760/monogrammed-chevron-infinity-scarf-red?ref=sr_gallery_15&ga_search_query=Red+Monogram+chevron+scarf&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery}

Lastly, another favorite for me is my silver monogram ring. This ring is so cute and such a staple. And the price is amazing.

 

 {link:http://www.amazon.com/Sterling-Silver-Signet-Round-Engraving/dp/B005E8T9IW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1404095632&sr=8-2&keywords=Silver+monogram+ring}

These are just a few of my favorites!

Happy Monday!

Casual, Cute & Comfortable

   I don't typically like dressing casual. Last week though, we had VBS at our church & I knew I wasn't going to "dress up" to work VBS. This outfit was comfortable & ended up being just right for what I needed.

   Now, what I do hate about this picture is that you cannot see the undershirt I have on. It matches my necklace perfect!! Here are details for the outfit though: Shirt: Target, Blue Undershirt: Old Navy, Jeans: hand me down, Necklace: Walmart, Belt: Ross, Shoes: I really don't remember b/c I have had them for so long!

   This next outfit was for a spontaneous date that Daniel took me on. Normally, I always pick a dress for date night but, I'm actually trying to make myself wear shorts more(which I've been doing this summer!). Anyways, I literally got ready in 15 minutes!!! Shower & all! That's why my hair is "stringy" in Daniel's words!

     Outfit details: Shirt: Plato's Closet, Undershirt: hand me down, Shorts: JCPenney (kids section), Shoes: Target, Necklace: My grandmother. 

   It's so nice when you like your outfit AND are comfortable at the same time!! That can't always be the case though!!! For these two outfits, I enjoyed what I was wearing & felt comfortable...Win, Win!!! :)

I'm feeling BLUE

Today I'm going to show you two different outfits that I wore in the same day this past week. The first outfit is what I wore to church on Sunday, and the second is what I changed into when we went to the Allen family June birthday party that afternoon. Later on I realized that they were both basically the same color scheme! I am really loving this blue right now and liked both of these outfits.

Dress: H&M, Shoes: Maurice's

Top: Peebles, Shorts: Ann Taylor Loft, Shoes: Target

I'm thinking I may should have saved the shorts outfit for the 4th of July...but too late now! And yes, I realize that half of my tree is missing. We are frantically packing up the house for our big move this weekend, so I had to move the photo shoot outside this week! Please pray that the move goes smoothly!! 

WIWW: Dresses & Skirts

Last week for What I Wore Wednesday, I shared with you one of my absolute favorite summer dresses (if you missed it, you can check it out here).  Today I have two outfits I want to share, and one of those is yet another great summer dress!  Unlike Katie, who is a self-proclaimed "casual dresser", I would choose a dress or skirt any day...going to the zoo?  A dress, please.  A basketball game?  Yes, still a dress, please.  Church?  Absolutely.  Always a dress, please.  I mean, to me it's a no brainer; a dress is the answer for almost any and every fashion occasion.  I am a firm believer that you cannot ever have too many dresses!  On Sunday morning I wore one of my favorite summer dresses to church...

 

Again, I worked two different patterns with my dress and shoes.  It's fun to throw a little pattern mixing into my style!  I also didn't go matchy-matchy with my shoes and accessories...I'm hoping the green shoes and purple accessories worked well together?

Outfit details:  Dress: Hand me down (don't know where it originally came from);

Shoes: Hand me down (originally Charlotte Russe); Earrings: Body Central;

Necklace: Passed down from my Grandmother! :)

Betsey Johnson Watch: Macy's

Wednesday night for church I pulled out one of my more casual skirts and paired it with a sleeveless jean shirt.  Simple, but nice.

 Outfit details: Shirt: Walmart; Skirt: Hand me down (Originally Old Navy);

Wedges: Marshalls (Franco Sarto); Necklace: too old to remember

Earrings: Walmart

Am I the only one who loves going to the dress every time?!  I am trying really hard to dress a little more casual this summer, but so far, as you can see, it's not working out so well!  Oh well...we'll see what I come up with next week!

Happy Wednesday!
Linking up with The Pleated Poppy.

Sweet & Sassy Swimsuits

   I hate, dread, never look forward to ... shopping for a swimsuit! It's so hard to find one that fits, is modest, & is the price you want to pay. I found all of that this year & I am so excited!!!! I'm going to get right to it!
   I happened to go into JCPenney the other day while they were having a big sale. I tried on some swimsuits b/c I wasn't sure what size I would wear then went online & ordered 2 one pieces. I bought them from the junior's section. The first one I paid $22 & the second I paid $18(I had a coupon)!  I had them shipped to the store & it cost $2.95 instead of $16(they were going to charge me separately for multiple items). I have already worn one & I LOVE IT!!! I've always thought...if I could just design my own swimsuit. Well, this is exactly what it would look like!

   I bought this one also but haven't worn it yet! I wanted something with a pop of color! 

   Swimsuits are hard to find but you just have to keep looking until you find a place that fits your figure well!         Hope you are enjoying your summer so far! :)

Pencil skirt

Happy Monday! I can't say enough how much I love pencil skirts. They are so flattering and are always a staple in my wardrobe. I have several pencil skirts in different colors and love all the different ways to wear them.  This skirt and top I purchased at Ross. The shoes are Old navy. If you don't have a black pencil skirt, it's a must! It is very versatile!

Affordable style!

Ok so I'm always so excited when I find a new piece for my wardrobe at an amazing price. (That happens often when I shop at Ross.) Seriously, if that store isn't a regular stop for you when you are out shopping, it needs to be!! About a month ago I scored this shirt at Ross and I am loving it. It's a really fun addition to my wardrobe and honestly each time I have worn it, I have received lots of compliments on it. I love it and I love that its very versatile and goes with several different outfits. This shirt was only $9.99 and the mint colored undershirt was only $4.99 (also from Ross). The jeans are Old navy ($19.99) and the shoes are T.J. Maxx.

Secondhand Style

One way that I like to get more bang for my buck is by shopping at secondhand shops. You really can get some great buys and cannot tell these clothes have been used! One place I like to go is the Fashion Exchange in Trinity Commons. Now I will say, I haven't been there in probably about a year, so I don't have any recent buys from there, but I used to go quite a bit and had a lot of luck. This store only takes name brand items, so you can expect to pay a little more than your typical Goodwill or what not. I got a lot of Ann Taylor Loft, Gap, Banana Republic, etc. there. Everything was in really good condition, and I thought I got good deals on what I purchased.
Another place that I like to run in every now and then and just check out is Plato's Closet. I know I am probably too old to shop there, but sometimes I can find cute pieces for great prices! This is an outfit I got there the other day. The pants were $6 and the top was on sale for $2! You can't beat that!! I love the zipper detail on the back of the shirt.
Obviously, when you shop at secondhand stores you are going to have to "dig" a little more, but a lot of times it is very worth it!!!

WIWW: A perfect summer dress + crazy weather wear

Happy What I Wore Wednesday!  This week I have two outfits to share with you.

The dress I wore on Sunday to church is one of my favorite dresses that I own.  It is just the perfect Sunday summer dress.  With palm leaves and bright colors, it is a favorite of mine for the summertime.  I usually like to save it for a Sunday in July (I only like to wear my dresses one time each season), but this last Sunday dawned bright and hot, so I just felt like it was the perfect day for it!

These are some of my favorite pink heels, and I love the green and pink together. I just love getting dressed up for church!

A couple weeks ago, we had a shower at the church for a girl who recently had a baby, and it was still a little cool.  I pulled out this outfit and felt like it was a good mix for the cooler weather and the summertime date on the calendar!

I'm trying to not be afraid to mix patterns! The belt I wore with this outfit was a different pattern than my horizontal stripes on my shirt, and my necklace had all kinds of patterns on the charms, but I think it all came together well!

Can't wait to share some great deals I've gotten recently on some shoes!  They are so fun and completely affordable!  Be sure to check in over the next few days - my sisters have some great posts coming up, as well!

Have a great rest of the week!
Linking up with The Pleated Poppy.

How to Bargain Shop

   I don't know about you but I LOVE to find a good deal! I put a lot of effort into whatever I'm buying to make sure I am getting it at a good price. I don't buy impulsively. I know what's in my closet & I think about whatever I'm over & over before I buy it. I've talked to a lot of girls who say they just don't know how to bargain shop! Other than just shopping at cheaper places like Ross, how can you find a bargain? Well, here are a few tips!
   1. Every store has a clearance section! It may be one rack or it may be a small area in the store. Either way, find it!! For instance, TJ Maxx has their clearanced clothes in the middle section of the store with a sign that tells you it's marked down prices. I'm sure you've all seen Target's clothes marked down area - it's on the left hand side all along the wall. It goes from 30% to sometimes 70% percent! Old Navy's section is right before you get to the dressing room! Go through the clearance aisle!! You never know what you may find!
  2. For Target specifically, if the price on the orange sticker ends with an 8 it will be marked down again. If it ends in a 4 that is the final time it will be marked down.
  3. Even places like Ross have a clearance section. For instance, on one or two racks there, they will have marked down clothes. I have gotten some dresses there for as low as 4.99 & 6.99!
  4. I used to could go many places checking prices but with 3 kids in tow all the time that is not a reality. So, I get online to check to see what it's going for before I go out. But, I have found that sometimes you can find a better deal in the store than what you can find online!
  5. This is hard to do but if you can shop for the opposite season sometimes you can find a steal of a deal! Last spring, I went to Gap & found a grey, blue, red, green, & beige cardigan all for $2.97 each & 4.99 each! It was AMAZING!!!
  6. It just takes time & practice!! Give it a shot! It is totally worth getting more for your money!

Now I want to show you some steals lately that I have gotten!! I bought these two good quality sweaters from Old Navy last week for $.97 each! You see that right ninety-seven cents! I can't wait to put a button up shirt underneath them for the winter!

I bought these shoes from Target for $14.98. I had checked around before purchasing these & the going rate was about $30. I could've waited till they were marked down more but they only had 2 pairs in my size so I snagged them! I'll show you a picture or two of how I've already worn them! I've worn them w/ pants, capris & dresses!

Then about a month ago, I got this gem from Goodwill...a perfect, floral, feminine dress! I paid $4 for it! Now, don't be afraid to go into a second hand store like that. Just be careful & make sure it doesn't look faded or worn out.

I scored this Nine West purse at Hope's Closet for $9.99!! I am very excited about this purchase!

Hope this helps you in the area of shopping on a dime! I can't wait to show you my new swim suits...& I can't wait to tell you how much I paid for them! :)

Easy summer style

I am so excited to be able to wear something other than a rain jacket finally! If I'm being honest, I love all the rain we have been having but it's not really conducive to trying to dress stylish! I've already shared with y'all that I am all about casual style. (Do those two words even belong in the same sentence?!) I think so! I have a tendency to always be a bit casual in my dress but this really takes over in the summer months! I just seem to gravitate to things that can be cute but also comfortable and easy to wear. In the summer months, when I can just put on some sandals, nothing is easier to me than a casual dress that can be worn comfortably no matter what I have going on. I am loving some of the fun dresses that I have picked up at Old Navy lately and I have gotten some really great deals on them. This dress I got on sale for $19.99. It's super comfortable. I added the belt because it was a little loose without it. The belt I picked up at Maurice's. (so long ago I can't remember the price!). The shoes I scored at T.J. Maxx a few weeks ago and I've already gotten a ton of wear out of them!

the basics

Do you ever have a hard time finding the basic pieces for your wardrobe?  I don't know why, but tees and tanks are always hard for me to find.  I am kind of particular about the fit and feel of these items, and so I won't just pick up one of these unless I really love them.

A while back I went on the hunt for some new tanks.  Most of mine were getting old and dingy, and I also needed some colors that I didn't already have.  I proceeded to text the sisters and ask them where they get their tanks...to which I got three completely different responses!  I got everything from one sister likes racerback tanks, to one likes short tanks, one likes shelf bra tanks...well, you get the picture!  So I got to thinking, what do I like in a tank?

I decided a few things about my tanks are essential...wider straps, for instance. I like a long tank top, because I like to layer and have my tank hanging out from underneath my shirt.  Quality is important, too, because I wear my tank tops a lot, especially as undershirts, and I am constantly washing my tank tops.  No racerback, no shelf bra, not too low - my list was pretty long!

As I began looking, it was hard to find all of these things in one shirt!  But finally, after looking all around the city, I found a tank that I fell in love with!

                          

I found the Joe Fresh Essential tank top at JC Penney, and I love this brand!  Even after washing it several times and wearing mine for over a month pretty regularly, I still really love this tank!  Originally they are $10, but they run specials on them fairly often, and I got mine for $5.  Not bad for a great quality tank top!  I ended up getting a few of them in different colors since they can be so hard to find!

Just wanted to share my great find with you all.  Happy shopping ;)

Summer Lovin'

It's that time of year again...summer!! I'm so excited because this year I may actually get to enjoy the outdoors a little. The past three summers I have worked a Monday through Friday job, but I just took a part-time job and I'm only going to be working Monday-Wednesday. Also, at the end of this month we are moving and will be about 5 minutes from Katie...who has a pool!!! YAY!!! Since I've been thinking about summer, and the sun, and the water I've been looking for some essentials. Here are some things I've been looking at.



 H&M



Target

Target

Payless

These look like some fun things to have to wear around the pool...maybe I'll end up being able to get a few of them!

Pink & Camo + Date Night!

One of the things I thought I would NEVER wear is camo.  I mean, for one thing, I'm just not a camo girl.  Although I do like being outdoors, I do not like camo in my closet - anyone else like me out there?   However, I've been seeing camo with pink everywhere, and that is one thing I CAN do.  There's just something about pink that is eternally girly.  Last week I played with the church band at our youth camp, and I wore this outfit for a fun change...(don't really think I would wear the camo pants to a regular church service, being the pastor's wife ;)).

Outfit details:  Pink sweater: Hand me down (originally Target); 

Tank top: JC Penney; Camo Pants: Walmart; Wedges: Marshalls

Let me just say here, what is going on with Memphis weather?!  Yes, in the above picture, I have on what I like to call a good "summer sweater", but I usually only wear those at the very beginning or very end of the summer season.  However, here I am in almost the middle of June, wearing summer sweaters.  I don't understand...

I talked on my blog here about how that last week I celebrated my 12 year anniversary!  Drew and I went out for an evening on the town, and unfortunately it was basically a monsoon outside, so I couldn't go with my original outfit I wanted for our big date.  Instead I wore this...

Outfit details:  Jean Jacket: Old Navy; Dress: Hand me down (originally Target);

Belt: Hand me down; Wedges: Marshalls

Despite the dreary weather, we had a great time, and Drew mentioned more than once how much he liked my outfit.  So, all's well that ends well; right?

Here's hoping that next week I can share more summery fashion!

Happy Wednesday!

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy.

Simply Stated

   What a week!! My husband has been working on the construction for a youth building for 18 months now. Last Sunday was our grand opening of the building! It was a huge day for us-in the life of our church, youth ministry & our own personal lives. So, you know what that means...I HAD to get a new dress for the occasion!!! I wear clothes dated back to my high school years all the time so don't think that I have to get something new for everything. But, this was ultra-special & I knew I NEEDED to do this.
   I headed off to where I get 90% of my dresses-Ross. I tried a few on but none were just really sticking out to me. I knew what I was wanting-something very unique & different, something colorful & summery, & something "youthy" since we were opening the new youth building. I came across this dress at TJMaxx for $14.99! I put it on & just knew it was THE dress!! I knew I would put my little denim jacket(which was given to me by a friend) w/ it since it was spaghetti strap. I don't really like wearing spaghetti strap dresses to church. Let me rephrase that...I NEVER wear spaghetti strap dresses to church!
   When I got ready to pull the outfit together, I started thinking about what jewelry to put with it. Whereas most of the time I like to make a statement w/ my jewelry, with this dress, since it popped so much already, I wanted some very low key jewelry. (If you remember Stacy's post "Details" last week, which I totally agreed with, this was kinda the exact opposite. You can either have your jewelry make a statement & your outfit simple, or you can have your outfit/dress make your statement & your jewelry be simple!) I just didn't want my accessories to take away from the dress. The dress is reallly a lot cuter in person than what it shows on camera! I simply went with my diamond earrings given to me by mom that were my grandmother's. I was pleased with how the outfit ended up.
    The last detail are the brown wedges. I got those from TJMaxx also. They were a little more expensive than I what I usually pay for shoes but I remembered my grandmother had given me money for my birthday that I had saved! So, I used that & it worked out perfect!! They are comfortable, which was very helpful since I did a lot of walking, standing & holding babies on Sunday.
Stay posted for more blog posts from me on how to get a good deal, swimsuit shopping, & other various outfit pictures!

Bargain style

Happy Monday! Over the weekend I decided with a few friends to have a yard sale. Every time I have a yard sale I promise myself I will never do it again. Aren't they so much work for so little reward? Ha. I don't seem to have a knack for having good yard sales. Saturday I made a total of $37! Not a great return on investment but what seems to be a better part of the deal is the great things I end up buying from my friends that were doing the yard sale with me. I was so excited about this cute top I bought from my friend. She had it priced at $1.00 but I think I actually got it for free after a trade we made on some items! Can't beat that! Hmm... Maybe I will continue doing yard sales every once in awhile! :)

Jewelry Organization

I don't know about you, but I have a ton of jewelry. I just keeping accumulating more and more of it, and I can't seem to let go of any of my old stuff. What if I just absolutely NEED all three pairs of those coral earrings at some point??? I mean, one is more dressy, one is more casual, and one is in between...you see my dilemma. This led me to, "Where do I store all of this jewelry?" I've tried several things over the years...jewelry boxes, drawers...but ultimately, I love to have my jewelry out on display. I like to have it all out where I can see it at a glance and I do not have to go digging through things for the one piece I'm looking for. I've found that I wear a bigger variety when it's all out in the open this way. Today I'm going to show you what I've come up with for now. I'm constantly changing things up, but this is what I'm loving for the time being.

 

                                            

This is a piece that I just love. Julie gave me this as a wedding gift, and it has been perfect for holding all of my earrings. I have had it mounted on my wall for awhile now, but I still needed something for the rest of my jewelry. I left the top drawer in my armoire empty and I put these cute bowls in it to hold my bracelets. Like I said though, I like to have my jewelry out visible. Also, I just had my necklaces laying in that drawer and they kept getting tangled. I asked Jesse to build me a necklace holder & he came up with something really cute! 

       

I set this small little table underneath my earring holder with these two bowls on it. One bowl holds my rings and watches. The other holds any earrings that won't attach to the green wire rack (hoops, studs, etc.).

I LOVE the necklace holder that Jesse built for me! He had the wood already and I had a Hobby Lobby gift card which I used for the paint and the knobs. I wouldn't have thought about putting a shelf on the top, but it was perfect. I used the smaller bowls that I already had to hold all of my bracelets. 

                                        

I was really pleased with my little jewelry corner! It doesn't take up much space, and everything is out where I can see exactly what I need for each outfit. What about you? Do you prefer to have your jewelry out in the open or stashed away? Do you have any tips for organizing your jewelry? 

Mix and Match

Hey there! For those of you who don't know me, I'm Amy, the oldest and wisest sister! I am married to Jesse. We have been married almost 2 years. I am stepmom to Abby (9 years) and Jared (7 years), and mom to Graham (6 months). One of my biggest challenges as far as fashion is concerned right now is that I am still trying to lose the rest of my baby weight. I don't want to go buy a bunch of new clothes, but I need something to wear at this phase of my life! I've been trying to take my dresses and make them into as many different outfits as I can, so I decided to show you an example of how I did that today.

This is the dress that I decided to make my outfits around. My first outfit was just the dress and a pair of sandals.

For the next outfit I changed into one of my favorite cardigans. I love this green color. It really goes with a lot more than you would think and it adds a pop of color to your outfit! I put my green sandals with it and changed my jewelry, and the whole look of the dress is different.

For my last look I again threw on a cardigan. (You will see that I love my cardigans.) This time I added my cowboy boots and again switched out my jewelry.

I love how it's fairly easy with your accessories to completely change the look of your outfit. This is an affordable way to get the most use out of your closet. Hope this gave you some ideas!