eShakti Sunday Style

lace topper: cato, dress: eShakti, wedges: payless

Y'all this review is ridiculously overdue. Oops. I received this cute dress from eShakti about a month ago but it hasn't been warm enough to wear it until recently. I added my lace peplum jacket thingy, gold bubbles and leopard shoes and all was good.

I'm sure if you've been hanging around the blogosphere for any length of time you've heard of eShakti. They make dresses (and skirts and tops and jackets) to your specifications. I usually change the length on mine as the standard length is below the knee which hits mid calf on my shrimpy self. It is so nice to be able to make a minor little modification like that and have a dress that works for you right out of the box.

Hope y'all are having a wonderful week!

Sunday Style: Pretty Peplum

jacket & top: cato, skirt: thrifted, wedges: target

Hello friends! I am back. I just needed a bit of a break. Maybe I'll share more later. Thank you to those of y'all who checked on me. It really made my day to know y'all cared enough to check on me. ;)

This was my Mother's Day outfit and I loved it. A bunch of teal with a splash of pale coral in my earrings and bracelet. I ended up wearing my pink jacket all day because it was cold. This has been the craziest excuse for a spring ever.

Hope y'all have a wonderful week!

Keeping it Simple

sweater & flats: old navy, jeans: walmart

yellow polka dot flats

Happy Friday, friends! Here is a super simple and comfy outfit I wore earlier this week for a day spent around the house and running a few errands. I know that we have all hashed this ridiculous excuse for a Spring to death, but honestly I am just not feeling all that inspired by my clothing at the moment. I have tons of cute outfits ready for when the weather warms up a bit, but it isn't warm enough to wear them yet. So. I am resorting to cozy sweaters, comfy jeans and brightly colored flats. Because at least my bright yellow polka dot flats scream spring. Thankfully we are supposed to get some warmer temps by next week, so maybe Spring has finally decided to show her face.

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!

Thrifty Thursday: Shopping

Hi, y'all! I had a change to hit Cato today and tried some things on. I thought I would share what I found. ;) As you already know, I am a bit of a clearance junkie. Indeed I rarely even bother looking anywhere other than the clearance racks. I know I am not going to pay full price so I would rather not torture myself. Anway here's what was on clearance at Cato today.

First up a cream lace peplum top with 3/4 sleeves and an adorable bow belt (on clearance for $11). 

My thoughts: I really love the peplum trend. Unfortunately it doesn't love me. Because I have an ample bosom, I have a really hard time finding one to fit right. As you can see, the waist is too high and it just accentuates my top half. As to this top in particular, the sheer lace sleeves are pretty, but not entirely practical.

Verdict: Passed.
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Next I tried on a red lace skirt (on clearance for $15). 

My thoughts: I had a very similar skirt in pretty much the same color that I wore for years. I ended up donating it a few years ago because it got too big after my original weight loss. I love the color and lacy fabric and the length is perfect. Unfortunately it was just a tad too snug in the waist.

Verdict: I passed for the time being. I will keep an eye on it and if the price goes down as my weight goes down I may pick it up.
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This pale mint pencil skirt is gorgeous and at $11 a decent price, however they didn't have it in my size. Boo.

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Next a pair of white skinny jeans (on clearance for $15).

My thoughts: I have been searching for a replacement pair of white jeans for a while now so I grabbed these off the clearance rack to try on. They were a little too tight (I prefer to get stretch jeans a little snug because they inevitably stretch out to a reasonable size, otherwise they get too baggy and won't stay on.) Anyway. These were too tight and too long. (See bunchy ankles below.)

bunchy ankles

 Verdict: I passed. Obviously.
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And here are the pink jeans I mentioned last week. Marked down to ($10).

closeup of snakeprint

My thoughts: I just can't decide on these jeans. I love the shade of pink and I know that the snakeprint is so faint that it isn't all that noticeable.  But I just feel like they don't quite fit into my conservative wardrobe. I love the length and have had good luck with the comfort level in Cato's jeans.

Verdict: Passed for now. These are actually a size too small. I will check my local Cato to see if they have them in my size and then decide. Please let me know your thoughts on the snakeprint?
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And finally I tried on a white knit blazer (on clearance for $15).

My thoughts: I really liked this blazer. It was comfy and stretchy. I do already have a white linen blazer that is very structured. It is beautiful, but not particularly comfy and I typically only wear it for church. I can see this working with casual dresses, jeans and even shorts.

Verdict: I liked this a lot but am going to wait to see if it gets marked down further.

So I bought nothing today at Cato. And honestly this happens fairly frequently. I have really strict shopping rules as well as a pretty small budget. I also have a list and while I am happy to find great deals on things I really love that aren't on my list for the most part I try to stick to the list.

Do you ever shop and buy nothing? Do you have a list or are you a by the seat of your pants shopper?

Work It Wednesday: Striped Top

One of my favorite things to pull out when the weather starts to warm up is my three quarter sleeved tops. There is just something so feminine and fresh to me about this sleeve length. And my absolute favorite three quarter sleeve top is my black and white striped one. I thrifted this baby for about $4 two years ago when I first started blogging and it has easily become a favorite.

So here's how I wear a striped top.

One of my earliest outfits with boyfriend jeans and coral accents. (And of course a cute kiddo in the background cause that's how we roll around here.)

And with jeans, wedges and a scarf. Easy, comfy, chic.

And finally my favorite look, over a dress with boots.

So how do you wear a striped top?

Tasty Tuesday: Vox Box Goodies

Happy Tuesday, friends! I recently got my first Vox Box from Influenster and let me tell you. It had some really fun stuff in it!

So I wanted to share the yummies with you today. You know, since I've been sharing tasty stuff on Tuesdays.

First up were some really tasty belVita Breakfast biscuits in golden oat. As you can see I enjoyed them with my coffee and quiet time. They were really tasty and crunchy. And I felt full until lunchtime. I have to admit I will probably pick up some more to enjoy. ;)

Next in the box was a new (to me at least) no calorie sweetener. Now I have to admit I haven't yet found a no calorie sweetener that I like. They always have a horrible aftertaste and even worse are made from heaven only knows what. While I am not a health nut by any means, I don't like eating stuff that is that fake. Enter NECTRESSE. It is from the people who made Splenda (which is at least better than the other fakes). But y'all this stuff is all natural. So I feel a little better about using it. And hello, no calories! Perfect right. And the best part is the taste is great too. I have been using it instead of honey in my smoothies. No weird chemicaliness, no yucky aftertaste, just a perfect dash of sweet. And I can feel okay about sharing it with my kiddo since it is all natural. (As a mom I am way more picky about what I give my kiddo than I am about what goes into my own body. ;)

There were a few other goodies in my box, but we'll get to them another day!

If you don't know what Influenster is, check here. If you would like an invite, please let me know in the comments and I will shoot you one!

Have you tried either of these products? What did you think?

Sunday Style: Easter Yellow

jacket: kohls (old), dress: old navy, heels: cato (old)

Happy Monday, lovelies! I hope y'all had a lovely Easter Sunday. ;) My kiddo requested yellow for his Easter outfit and somehow I did not own a yellow dress. Perfect excuse to buy one, don't you think? ;) Anyway. After much searching and trying on, I found this one and I love it. So did the kiddo. And since it isn't quite warm enough to go sleeveless  paired it with a navy blazer and colorful necklace. Aside from the new dress everything else from my shoes to my jewelry is really old.

Hope y'all have a wonderful week!

March Budget Recap

denim pencil skirt from the thrift store $1

long sleeve stripe tee from Old Navy $8 clearance

yellow poka dot flats from Old Navy $10 clearance

navy sweater from Old Navy $8 clearance

pink pearl bubble necklace $9 from Cato

mint tights from versona $2

mint floral flats from Target (used gift card)

Yellow easter dress from Old Navy $25

 

cobalt skinnies from walmart $9

Total March budget $20 a week X 5 weeks = $100
Spent $72

Where Are You, Spring?!

cardi: cato, blouse: old navy, jeans: walmart, flats: target

pretty floral necklace

pretty floral flats

Happy Friday! Here is the most colorful possible outfit I could wear and still be warm. I am so tired of my winter clothes and so ready for spring. And it isn't here. Ugh.

On a happier note I seriously love these espadrille flats from Target. They are insanely comfortable and super super cute. I want the red poka dot pair too.

Hope y'all have a great weekend!

Thrifty Thursday: Pink Jeans

I am on the hunt for a pair of pink jeans for spring. I am looking for the perfect pastel petal pink. (I already own brilliantly hot pink pants!)
So I did a search around the internets and here is what I came up with.

First up these from JCPenney. Very pretty, love the length. However I am looking for more of a petal pink than coral. But these are really cute at a pretty decent price.

a.n.a. neon coral ankle zip jeans $20

And these are just about the perfect color (and price), but I am not totally sure about the glittery thing. I am not wild about glittery clothing since it tends to leave glitter every freaking where!

Almost Famous glitter skinny jeans $10

Forever 21 has a couple of options, these are not jeans, but are really pretty. And the price is right. However I have never bought (or even tried on) pants from Forever 21 and am not sure I can fit in them. :)

Twill Skinny Pants $15.80

And these which are jeans. They are listed as neon coral, but look more pink to me.

Colored Skinny Jeans $19.80

Then there are these metallic pretties from Target. Once again. I like them, but am not sure about metallic pants.

Mossimo metallic coated skinny denim $13.98

There are a cute pair at Cato (they don't have an online store), but they are a faint snakeskin print. Although it is very subtle, it is there. I can't decide whether that works for me or not. ;)

What do you think? Do you have or want pink jeans?

Weight Watching Wednesday: Update

Happy Wednesday, friends. As promised, here is my update on my two week boot camp. I lost about 10 pounds overall. Which was pretty good for two weeks especially considering I got sick, the kiddo got sick, the hubby got sick and the the kiddo got sick again. It was a rough couple of weeks. Unfortunately I have been pigging out and not exercising because of almost two weeks worth of Spring Break. However this week it is back to work with a more workable long term plan. Because as nice as it is to lose 10 pounds in two weeks, it really isn't a great way to do things.

My Exercise Plan going forward:
Cardio 3x per week using one of my many exercise dvds. I am easily bored. And each of these dvds has three to four different dance options of 10 - 15 minutes each allowing me to pick and choose what I feel up to each day.

I own the first two and really enjoy them. I will be looking to add the second two to my collection as I am able.

available here

available here

available here

available here

I really don't like exercising, but do enjoy dancing so these are right up my alley and I do enjoy them.

I will be continuing with the morning yoga and evening stretches as they were really helping keep the stiffness and soreness at bay.

And as we all know cardio isn't enough, we have to build muscles too. So. I am leaning toward trying out the ballet bootcamp exercises.

And that's it for now.

Do you enjoy exercising? What kind?