Thursday, February 28, 2013

Thrifty Thursday: Walmart

Happy Thursday, friends. I have had a number of comments lately on my Walmart clothing. So I though I would do a post and let you see for yourself some the offerings available at Walmart right now. You can order online and shipping is under $1 for apparel. Seriously. If you are on a tight clothing budget check out these fun options.

Skinny jeans in mint for $16.44.


Or if you are wanting to try out the floral denim trend, here's a pair for $15.88.


If you are looking for skirts, they have a chevron striped maxi skirt in several colors for $12.94


And a houndstooth knit pencil skirt for $12.88



I am stalking this striped dress. At $9.94 it is easily in my budget.



Here are a few my recent purchases.
This striped tunic. $9.94, y'all.


And this hot pink silky blouse for $13.94.


I have purchased plenty of clothing from Walmart over the years and have always found the quality to be good. Usually much better than places like Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe.

So, tell me friends, would you shop for clothes at Walmart? Are you surprised by any of their offerings?

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Work it Wednesday: Blazers

So I though I would bring back a feature I did way back in my early blogging days. Work it Wednesday is when I take one item or style and show three ways to wear it. Hope y'all enjoy!

This week I'll be working blazers. I have a huge blazer collection from my working days. Here are a few of my favorite ways to wear them.

Belted over a dress! (Especially with a puppy audience and drinking kiddo.) Pretty much any blazer and any dress will work for this look. Try a fitted blazer with a flowy maxi dress and pretty belt.


2. With a tee and skinny jeans. (I think this is from my second outfit post - ancient.) This is a very lady like jacket but it pairs perfectly with jeans for date night. As much as I love a good cardi, don't discount your blazers for casual wear too!


 3. And of course, the obvious - with a pencil skirt and boots. I love the mix of textures in this look - the velvet blazer, tweed pencil skirt, knit tee and suede boots. Even if you don't have to dress in suits for work, a blazer and pencil skirt is always appropriate. If you feel too dressed up, add a fun scarf, flats or colorful tights.



Do you wear blazers? What is your favorite way to style them?

Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Tasty Tuesday: Chili

Happy Tuesday, lovely friends!

I have an old favorite for you today. Thanks to the freezing cold, nasty, rainy weather we have been having for the last couple of weeks, I have been in the mood for cozy comfort food. Of course, a good pot of chili is one of my favorites. Now before I start I should warn you. I am not a follow the recipe kind of cook. Even when I have a recipe I view it as more of a jumping off point. So, there aren't exact measurements. And if you don't like something, just change it.

Here's what you'll need:
ground beef/chicken/turkey - whatever you like. I usually use a pound, but you can use more or less depending on your personal tastes
chili beans - I only use one can, but you can certainly use more if you like beans (I don't)
tomato sauce - one can - use more if you like your chili soupier, less if you like it chunkier (but please for the love of everything holy do not use tomato paste - yuk)
chili ready tomatoes - one can, these just make things a little easier, if you can't find them just use regular canned tomatoes and a little extra seasoning


For seasoning you can certainly use the packets you get at the grocery store, but I have found that I don't really end up liking the flavors as well. So I use smoked paprika, chili powder, fresh ground pepper and salt.


1. Start by browning your meat.


2. This step is critical to me because I hate beans. However beans are cheaper than meat, add great flavor and make your chili go farther. So, I use them. However I smash them up with a potato masher before I add them. This makes them blend with the meat and minimizes the beany texture. If you have bean haters in your family, give this a try. Coming from a super picky eater, it works. ;)


3. Once your meat is browned add your seasonings. Remember that you can always add more so go easy until you know how much you like. I use a lot of the smoked paprika and just a dash of chili powder since we don't like our chili to be super spicy. More chili powder = spicier chili. If you like your chili to burn the skin off your tongue try adding cayenne. And of course salt and freshly ground pepper. If you don't have a pepper grinder, go get one. You'll never go back to using the preground stuff. Promise.

4. Add your smooshed up beans to the meat and stir to combine.


5. Open and drain your chili ready tomatoes then add them to the mixture and stir. If you like a really chunky chili, you can be done here.


6. For a soupier chili add tomato sauce (you could also used crushed tomatoes). (Do not use tomato paste!!!) Stir it up and taste test for seasoning. Add whatever seems to be lacking. If it seems to acidic, add just a touch of sweetener (sugar, honey, grape jelly, splenda - whatever you have). Just a tiny little bit will cut the acidity of the tomatoes. 

7. Turn the heat down and simmer until ready to eat. You can keep this on the stove for quite a while, or you can brown your meat, add everything to a crockpot and cook it all day. The longer you let it simmer the better the flavors will blend. And the chili-er your house will smell.


Finally, serve however you like. I use a dollop of sour cream and lots of cheese. Hubby eats it straight or with some onions on top. The kiddo likes it with fritos. It's all good. We usually get at least two meals out of this. Sometimes three. We'll do chili the first night, then frito chili pies and finally finish up the leftovers on chili dogs. Yum.

So, let me know if you try this out or make any changes.

And here is a single image with all the steps in case you want to pin it! ;)


Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Monday, February 25, 2013

Sunday Style: Black Velvet

dress (old): ???, wedges: thrifted



twisted updo & diy earrings

red tights & red wedges

Happy Monday,lovelies! I am going to be honest and tell you the only reason I am posting these pictures is because my kiddo is absolutely hilarious. I don't feel like the outfit was a fail in real life, but I didn't get good pictures. I was so busy paying attention to my goofball of a child that every pose was really awkward looking. But, hey. You get the good with the bad sometimes right?

I am excited about some new stuff for the blog this week. I have an easy peasy chili recipe scheduled for tomorrow that I hope you'll enjoy as well as bringing back a couple of features from my earlier days - Work it Wednesday and Thrifty Thursday. Be sure and let me know what you think!

Hope y'all have a wonderful week!

Friday, February 22, 2013

Floral Print!!!

cardi & flats: thrifted, dress: forever 21, leggings: versona


cute owl earrings go with everything

sparkly flats

Y'all I am wearing a print other than stripes or leopard. Can you believe it? ;) This was actually a dress until it got washed. It then became a tunic because holy molie it got short. Yikes. Along with a cozy cardi and fleece lined leggings it made for a cozy and comfy outfit for yet another day spent around the house. ;)

Hope y'all have an excellent weekend!

Thursday, February 21, 2013

What to Wear: Girl's Night Out

Hello, lovelies! I have something a little different for you today. I received a lovely email from a sweet reader in Australia asking me what to wear for a girls' night out. So, I got out my cutest thinking cap and dug through my archives to find some ideas for her.

My advice (for what it is worth) is to keep it comfortable and cute. Bright jeans with a chambray top and leather jacket are perfect for any outing. Add leopard flats to be comfy or fabulous heels or wedges to up the fun factor.



Another fun and cute option is a dress topped by a chambray blouse or any button-up, cardi or jacket you like. Add an awesome necklace or scarf and fun shoes. Easy peasy.


If colored jeans or dresses aren't your thing, try a cute pair of boyfriend jeans with a colorful top and girly shoes. Giant snakeprint wedges work well. ;)


And finally nothing beats a cute mini skirt with a tee shirt and flats. Make sure you keep the top casual and mostly covered up and avoid super sexy shoes so your vibe stays casual and fun.


So there are some ideas for girls' night out outfits. Hope this helps. ;) If y'all are interested in more posts of this kind or have a question about what to wear for something, please feel free to contact me!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Black and White

entire outfit: walmart (yikes!)



diy polka dot flats

So, apparently black and white is a 'big trend' for spring. Who knew. I have to admit I very rarely wear black and white without a pop of color somewhere, but this outfit seemed fine without any extras. I think it is the mix of polka dots and stripes. ;)

What do you think? Do you like just black and white or do you prefer adding colorful accents?

If I get around to it, I will be linking up with Marionberry Style for Trend of the Month!

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Blog Questions

cardi: target, blouse: thrifted, tee: walmart, jeans: cato, flats: payless




Hello, lovelies! Lots of coral and teal going on here. Just an easy comfy outfit for a day spent at home doing mom stuff. So much fun.

Anywho. I have a couple of questions for y'all today concerning the blog. I would just love to have some feedback on what y'all would like to see. I can happily just keep doing basic outfit posts if that is what you enjoy, but I wanted to know if you would like to see some other content? I typically try out at least one or two pinned recipes a week and have the occasional tendency to organize everything in sight. So posts on either or both of those could easily be added if you are interested. I also read. A LOT. So I could do book reviews or recommendations. I can also do shopping posts. I love to shop. ;) Obviously. Or if you have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know in the comments. I always love your feedback!

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, February 18, 2013

Rainy Days & Sunday Clothes

jacket: thrifted, dress, turtleneck & heels: target


don't even ask - I have no idea what he is doing. ;)

Happy Monday, friends. We are having an icky, rainy, dreary day and I really just want to curl up under the covers and sleep or read. Anyone else have that problem when it rains? Anyway. This is what I wore to church yesterday. I got this wool blazer for $1 at the thrift store a while back. I love the pinky coral color, but it is unlined which makes it kind of hard to wear. Wool makes me itch like crazy so I can't have it actually touching my skin anywhere. Thus the turtleneck. I ended up adding the burgundy pops since I don't have grey heels.

Have a great week!

Friday, February 15, 2013

Color of the Year Silliness

sweater: thrifted, jeans: walmart, flats: target



pale coral earrings and  bracelet
Happy Friday, y'all! Not much to say today. I love my coral bracelet (which is too big and kept trying to fall off). And I am wearing green. The 'color of the year'. Is it weird that I find the whole idea of the 'color of the year/season to be a little ridiculous? I have always loved mint and burgundy and emerald green. Declaring them fashionable didn't make me love them any more. And I loathe orange. It doesn't matter how stylish 'tangerine tango' was, nothing could induce me to buy or wear it. So there.

Happy Weekend, friends!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Happy Valentine's Day!

top: hand me down, pants: cato, flats: payless




Sparkly necklace: Cato

Happy Valentine's Day! I figured my brilliantly pink pants and pretty sparkly necklace fit the bill. I am seriously loving these pants and can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can wear them all the time. I wore this on one of those randomly 70 degree days we've been having in between the usual 40 to 50 degree days. Arkansas weather is weird, but as we always say, 'if you don't like it just stick around for a little while and it will change."

We don't have any huge Valentine's day plans, we rarely do. But we are hoping to maybe have dinner and see a movie sometime this weekend. I recently read Beautiful Creatures, so if I can talk the hubby into it we may try to see that one. I've heard that there are a few major changes from the book, so I am interested to see what those are.

What are you doing for Valentine's Day?

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

V-Day Colors

blazer: kohls, blouse: walmart, skirt: target, flats: thrifted



burgundy tights & stripey flats
This is what I wore to our Valentine's Fellowship at church last week. We ate tons of lasagna and enjoyed watching a few of our couples play the 'Oldywed Game'. It was a total blast. I layered some burgundy and hot pink with a stretchy black pencil skirt (which is pulled all the way up under the girls so it isn't too long) and my go with everything striped flats. Add a topknot and dangly earrings and I felt both appropriate and festive. (My color seems to be off a bit, but I promise the tights and jacket are burgundy not brown. Bad Camera.)

Would you wear burgundy and hot pink together?
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