Black and bright pink is a favorite color combination of mine. Both of these lace dresses would be the perfect date night look for Valentine's Day - or even a February wedding.
FIVE LACE PIECES TO ADD TO YOUR WARDROBE
1. This lace peplum top is a great deal and would be perfect for winter and even into spring/summer. It comes in both white and black.
2. Shades of yellow are supposed to be a spring trend - and this yellow lace sundress is definitely on trend.
3. This lace off the shoulder top and dress would be perfect for summer or for a spring break trip you may have planned.
1. It could be Valentine’s Day or the anticipation of spring - but I love this pale pink (blush) color of this sweater that is only $18 and this chunky $25 sweater.
3. This is the cutest little cosmetic bag. It would make the perfect V-day gift.
4. This tote is only $20 and would be great for work (and carrying laptop) or just an everyday carry-anything tote. It comes in three different colors - and the bright pink/coral looks perfect for spring.
5. This very popular crossbody bag is 40% off. I love the pop of red it would add to any look.
TREND ALERT
Bomber jackets are so popular and on trend for spring. This quilted satin blush one is so pretty. And, this crushed velvet would be the perfect layering piece for spring. This bomber jacket is my top pick; however, it is sold out in my size.
PINTEREST INSPIRATION
I think this is the perfect way to wear pink. One of my favorite pins of the week.
MOVIE PICK
McDonald's is one of my favorite places to eat. I love the fries! I hope the fries never change. On Friday, I went to see the movie The Founder - about the history of the start of McDonald's and its franchise stores that spread across the country back in the 50's and 60's. I recommend the movie - but I will have to say that it made me sad and not want to eat at McDonald's after watching it.
FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Lastly, five years ago today I published my first post. I cannot believe it has been five years. I can't believe I am still publishing posts. Thank you for following along!
How fun (and trendy) is this moto jacket with the embroidered flowers?
SHOP JEANS under $20 (SOME ARE under $10)
I cannot believe that before college, I never wore black. I do not even think I owned any black clothing. Now, I cannot imagine what I would wear - if it wasn't for black. All black with a hint of white and/or leopard is what I love to wear. Here are just a few of my favorite classic black looks that I have pinned on Pinterest.
WHAT I BOUGHT IN JANUARY
1. Leopard is my favorite and I picked up this sweater on sale with an additional 50% off. (Now it is an extra 60% off.)
2. I picked up this ribbed mock sweater on sale with an additional 50% off for under $30! (Now it is an extra 60% off.)
4. I love a chunky knit sweater - and I thought this “puffy” sleevesweater because it looked fun and different - plus it was only $18; however, I ended up returning it because the fit of the sleeves was a little off for me.
5. I have been sampling different shampoo/conditioners lately. I bought these travel size samples to try - and my hair has never been softer or smelled better! I used the full combo - shampoo, conditioner, and smoothing oil. I would give it 5 stars for being the best styling products I have used in a long time!
And, one last thing, 7 For All Mankind is having its Warehouse Sale! Somehow I managed to really shrink my husband's jeans (or maybe he put on a few Christmas pounds - if you knew him you would know that is probably not the case). His jeans have become ridiculously tight - so much that I giggle each time he tries to put them on. So, I am picking up some new jeans for him since they are marked down to over 60% off - from $189 to $69!
Valentine's Day is just around the corner. I typically do not wear dresses a lot, but if I was going to get dressed up - both these pink dresses would be so pretty. The sleeve details on the Rachel Parcell dress makes it fun and unique, but I love the ruching detail on the Topshop one.
If you are looking for some small gift ideas - this charm bracelet is only $10.
Also, with all this warm weather we have been having, I have started to think about wearing pumps again - and I love these pumps (but they are too pricey for me), so I have found some almost exact dupes - and they even come in a pale pink for as low as $28!
4. Roll tab sleeve tunic - that comes in 12 different colors - is 33% off and only $28.
5. This bag looks like the Chanel bag and is 40% off and this mini camera bag is 40%, too.
I am starting to feel like it might be spring really soon - yesterday it was sunny and 60 degrees - and it felt so much more like spring, than winter. Today, I am sharing five great deals I have found - these are staples that could be worn this spring. (I shared five more great buys last week in this post.)
Also, I am doing some "spring" cleaning. I have decided that I have too many papers saved, and since my paper shredder broke, I am looking into buying a new one, along with a document scanner. I would much rather save scanned documents (on my computer) than the paper ones. Anyone have recommendations on one to buy - I am thinking about this one since it is small and does double-sided scans.
And, one last thing, my kitchen remodel is wrapping up and I just bought this rug to try for the kitchen. I really hope it works.
For two years in a row, this has been my top pinned image on Pinterest. I have re-created this look with all budget-friendly pieces - everything is a great deal. And, the biker-moto jacket is under $50 and the booties are 50% off. The on-trend ruffle blouse is only $25.
With Valentine's Day less than a month away, here are some save vs. splurge gift ideas. These lace tops are so pretty - and would transition from winter to spring.
If you follow style blogs, you might have noticed that in the last couple of months everyone (well, maybe not everyone) is wearing this Gucci belt. I love the belt (and the look of wearing belted jeans with a sweater tucked in) - however, the price of the belt is a little crazy to me! So, I found a similar belt for a lot less and re-created the look. Plus, the belt is 40% off!
Have you ever wanted to add snow flakes to your pictures?
With all the snowy weather around the country recently, I thought it would be fun to add a little snow fall to my pictures.
I found the most fun site that allows you to upload your photo - and then add a filter that makes it look like it is snowing. These photos were taken after it had stopped snowing - so it was fun to add snow flakes! (And, it was so easy - just upload a photo, click the filter, and download the updated photo - that simple!)
I typically do not post on Monday's but getting more organized and productive is one area I really want to work on in 2017, so I knew I wanted to participate in this blog hop with my friends at The Blended Blog, so I could share my thoughts and also see what great things they had to say. If you are stopping by from Deena's blog - hello and welcome!
At the end of my post, be sure to "hop" over to Whitney's blog to read more about her suggestions.
So, here are my five recommendations on how to become more organized and productive...
1. MAKE A LIST
In order to be more organized and productive, it is important to make a list; however, I rarely make a list of what I need to accomplish, which I am going to work on changing this year. I have found that when I make a list, I am far more productive at getting those things done. Someone once suggested that when making a list - prioritize the items by easiest to most difficult (or ones that can be done quickly to ones that are a longer duration.) Start with items you can get done quickly - because you won't get hung up on those tasks that take longer - leading to procrastination or feeling like you didn't accomplish anything.
Also, along the lines of making a list and getting things done, I was recently reminded of the phrase - "Paralysis by analysis" - sometimes we can spend so much time over-thinking and trying to make the perfect move that we don't get anything done at all!
2. SET GOALS
Along with making a list, are setting goals. I am going to try to organize my list by daily, weekly, and monthly goals. Then, at the end of the day, I can look at what I accomplished and get ready for what is next. Then, evaluate at the end of each week and month. Without setting daily goals, it is easy to let things slip and before you know it an entire month (or year) has gone by and not as much as could was accomplished.
3. SET REWARDS
I once had a life coach recommend setting up rewards for each task or goal I accomplished. If I didn't get it done, then I didn't get the reward. We do this with kids, but as an adult, I think it is a great idea. She said that if I accomplished something off my list, I could reward myself with going shopping or buying something, or something as simple as watching my favorite TV program. I am really going to try to instill this mind-set this year!
4. LIMIT SOCIAL MEDIA
Along with rewards is the importance of setting boundaries. It is easy for me to get sucked into looking at Instagram, Snapchat, and blogs - for endless hours. My goal this year is to spend less time on social media - and also set aside a dedicated time to look at them. I plan to set a specific time each day - along with a time limit. Also, my goal is to totally detach from everything on the weekend - to give myself a break.
5. CREATE SPACES
Lastly, for 2017, I want to work on creating dedicated spaces for important papers, documents or things I need to handle. Also, since I have started working on my own clothing line, I have boxes of yarn samples, fabrics, material, etc. - and right now everything is in boxes on my floor - which is driving me a little nuts. I want to come up with some shelving (like these which are only $19), filing cabinet, and possibly a new desk (20% off this week) that has more room for filing away papers. Also, since our kitchen remodel, my normal area for important papers has gotten shuffled around - and I have been loosing (or misplacing) more things than usual.
I cannot get over how identical that Chloe bag is - and it is made with real leather - for a fraction of the cost. It also comes in different colors. Also, how fun are those loafer booties with the chain detail - and they are 50% off!
4. These booties are 60% and come in 3 different colors. They are under $60 - would be perfect all year-round.
5. This leopard cross body bag is 50% off and only $25! (Also, found here on sale.) It looks like an exact dupe to the J. Crew one that costs much more.
Nordstrom
had great after Christmas sales, but now the deals are even better.
These are some of my top picks that are an even better deal now. Although, this is one boot that I love that is not on sale just yet - but I keep watching for it to be marked down to the perfect price.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"If it's both terrifying and amazing then you should definitely pursue it."
I saw this quote last fall on Instagram - and I thought it was so true.
