Lace and damask and bling. Oh my!

I got my clothes from Twice.com last week!  My $3.35 order full of gently used wonderful goodness is now happily hanging in my closet (read my shopping how-to here).   It was super fun to get dressed for work today with so many choices.  My only problem was matching an outfit together...You know when you're little and you have so many favorite treats and you think that they should all go great together but they don't?  That's what I was afraid was going to happen getting dressed this morning.   I did end up with a lot going on in my outfit, but I loved it.  With so much going on I am just hoping it didn't look like I let a little kid dress me :) 

My grey sweater shirt is from INC International Concepts via Like Twice ($.56) similar here, peach lace skirt from Down East Basic (gift) similar here, damask tights from JCPenney similar here, shoes are Alfani via Runway Fashion Exchange $8 similar here. Thanks so much for reading!   Would you wear so much texture in one outfit?  Please share any getting dressed guidelines you have in the comments below :)  (My main one is not to wear a loose top with a loose bottom, it just looks sloppy to me.)

Gift Guide 2014 for the Beauty Obsessed

I love all of the beauty gift sets that come out around this time of year!  There are so many affordable options for sampling high cost brands.  I found a few that really intrigued me, and that had high reviews, to put together this post.

Two years ago I bought a benefit gift set at a great price and I was so excited about it.  I actually ended up hating all of the products, but I was so glad that I was able to try them at well below full price.  After that experience I have started looking at reviews closer and trying to find products that will work for me.

All of the products above had high reviews :)

1. Too Faced Bronzer Wardrobe Collection $22 Sephora

This set comes with four bronzer shades, including two of Too Faced's famous chocolate bronzers and a brush for applying.  It has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars on sephora.com the most common complaint is that the packaging is cardboard.  I don't really care what it's in as long as it is amazing :)

2.  Benefit The Real Steal $24 Ulta

The Real Steal features the cult favorites They're Real mascara and Push Up liner and They're Real remover, the liner has an amazing applicator for precise liner.  The set is rated 4 out of 5 stars on Ulta.com.

3.  Caviar Stone Bracelet $14 Vanity

I know this isn't technically a beauty item, but I wanted to include some pretty jewelry too.  This bracelet is from Vanity.com and I think it is stunning.

4.  EOS. A Ray of Holiday Sunshine Rachel Roy $6 Ulta

I can't get over this price for 3 EOS balms!  The trendy balm's moisturizing properties are up for debate in the review section, but they still earned a 4.5 out of 5 rating.  At this price it would be a great way to try them.

5.  Sephora Favorites Spray of Sunshine Fragrance Sampler For Her $24 Sephora

I read about what a great deal these samplers were over and over again last holiday season.  The set includes samples of multiple high end fragrances.  You use the samples and determine which is your favorite, you then turn in a card that is in the sampler for a rollerball of your chosen fragrance.  The reviews were favorable with the exception that you can only get the rollerball at a Sephora store that is not in JCP.

6.  Tarte Golden Days and Sultry Nights Amazonian Clay Collector's Shadow Palette $24 Sephora

The colors in this palette are so gorgeous!  They apply as more of a sheer shade and are not as dramatic as they appear in the palette.  The palette itself is gorgeous and contains full size shadows.

7.  Gem Stone Head Wrap $9 Vanity

This wrap has some nice chunky stones that would be gorgeous for any dressy look.

8.  Sexy Hair Voluptuous Volume $16 Ulta

Pump up the volume in your hair with Spray and Play hairspray and Root Pump Plus, this kit has a perfect 5 out of 5 stars rating with two rave reviews.

9.  Beaded Dream Catcher Earrings $7 Forever21

These are the most gorgeous earrings in my book!  They have beautiful details and are perfect mini dream catchers.  There are a lot of other pretty jewelry options on F21's site.

10.  Sephora Collection Bronzed and Blushing Face Palette $15

A large mirror and three decent sized powders come in this kit.  The blushes and bronzers are super pigmented and a little goes a long way.  This set has a 4.1 out of 5 star rating on Sephora.com.

11.  NYX Butter Lip Gloss Sugar Rush Set $10 Ulta

These lip glosses are very hydrating and non-sticky and come in three yummy flavors.  This set has a 5 out of 5 star rating on Ulta and the Butter Lip Glosses have a 4.5 rating.

12.  BareMinerals Beauty Obsessed $25 Ulta

This kit comes with trial sized eyeliner, mascara, bronzer and blush duo, and lipgloss.  The set has a 4.5 out of 5 star average rating on Ulta.com.

13.  Faux Crystal and Feather Pendant Necklace $5 Forever 21

I really like the look of these stacked single pendant necklaces that is trendy right now.  I also love the boho feel of the crystal and the feather on this one.

14.  Lorac Party Eyeshadow Palette $24 Ulta

This palette is so pretty!  The shades are super pigmented and shimmery.  Perfect for a party!  It is brand, spankin' new so there are no reviews on Ulta, but searching online I found a rave review and it was enough to convince me to keep it in this guide.

Do you have a beauty wish list this holiday season?  Let me know in the comments below.

Bold florals + Bold stripes (plus some little sister fashion)

Last night/early this morning my little brother left home for the next two years to serve a mission for our church.  We thought he wasn't going for another two weeks, so it was a really crazy few days for my mom getting him ready to go.  We all got together as a family last night.  It was sad to say goodbye, but we are all very excited for him.  As I'm typing this, he is probably almost to Mexico City.

I wanted to share some pics of what I wore last night and also what my 9 year old sister wore.  She was wearing the cutest outfit and it was so well coordinated.  I'm sharing pics below.  She also took the first few pictures of my outfit.  :)

This skirt is actually from my friend's wedding.  Isn't it cute!  I thought the bold stripes in my shirt needed a bolder floral pattern and I love how it looked with this bright, bold skirt.  My other sister got me this beautiful blazer for Christmas.  It has a stripe print with a chunky white lace overlay.

See how cute!?  She's got this beautiful white tee with clear, iridescent sequin sleeves and a pocket, a super cute polka dot layered skirt, white leggings with lace on the bottom, and then sparkly shoes that match the shirt.  She put this together by herself!

Thanks so much for reading!!

Linking up with:  Because Shanna Said So, The Pleated Poppy, Style Elixir, Whitney Nic James, Trend Spin Linkup.

Summer Style: Pink Striped Maxi Dress

hair how to

Dress: Connection 18 (TJ Maxx) ($15) / Denim Shirt: Forever 21 ($10 secondhand) / Shoes: Dollhouse ($14) (Ross) / Watch: Betsey Johnson (TJ Maxx) ($35) / Rosebud Earrings: Rue 21 ($5 in a set) / Hairstyle how to: here

Outfit total: less than $80

I got to go Birthday shopping with my mother in law this week.  We weren't able to go earlier because she was on vacation.  We found this dress and my watch at TJ Maxx.

I absolutely love this dress!  I love the color of pink it is and it is sooo comfy.  Striped maxi dresses are so gorgeous for summer.  They are so easy but look amazing!  Adding to the outfit with a kimono, blazer, or chambray top gives it a little something extra :)

I found as many similar items on Amazon as I could.  If you live near a TJ Maxx and want the watch, check to see if they have them.  They were only $35 in store and they are around $100 on Amazon.

**These are affiliate links, so if you choose to buy something from them, I will receive a small commission from Amazon, this will not affect the price you pay**

Thanks so much for reading!!  Comment below with your favorite summer clothes :)

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Also linked with the Pleated Poppy link, the Penniless Socialite link, the trend spin link up with the Fashion Canvas and Walking in Memphis in High Heels, and the Real Arnolds link up.

Birthday Spending Money

This year for my Birthday I had a really hard time deciding on specific things that I wanted.  I've been really, really good at not spending money on myself this year.  We set a budget for almost everything and anything we would want to or need to spend on and I have tried really hard to make sure we come in under or at budget on everything.

I feel like it is like a starvation diet.  Anytime I am in a store I see all of the pretty things and if I weren't naturally a very frugal person, I know I would have a crazy binge shopping spree.

I had some birthday coupons, a leftover gift card from my birthday last year, and some birthday money.  So I took myself on a much needed birthday shopping spree!  Jackson and I went to three stores and got a lot of fun stuff.

First we went to Ulta.  I wandered around the store, but couldn't really find anything that I really wanted that was less than $30.  I didn't want to spend all of my money in one place so I used my free birthday mascara code and moved on.  

They give you a free full sized CK one mascara for your birthday.  It usually retails for $18.  There was something wrong with my code, but they had amazing customer service and made it work for me.

Next we went to Rue 21.  They had a whole table full of $5 shirts.  I almost went crazy and bought a bunch of them.  There were so many cute ones!  It is Rue 21 though and I have had a bit of bad luck in the past with their stuff holding up, and my little closet is already bursting at the seams.  So I reigned myself in and got the most practical cute shirt.  This one with black and white stripes and the long back.

Then I wandered around the store in search of some cute colored or floral skinny jeans.  I didn't find any that fit me, but I did find this really dark simple denim pair for $10 that actually fit well.

I had to check out their jewlery.  They always have cute stuff that is within my budget.  I found a few things I kinda liked that were not on sale.  Then I found quite a few necklaces that I really liked and realized that they were all on sale for $2.  So I got these three.

When I rang up I used the remainder of a gift card that I got last year.  So I paid $4.96 for a pair of jeans, a shirt, and three necklaces.  Wahoo!

My last stop was Victoria's Secret.  They had a few bins already set out for the Semi-Annual Sale.  I found a gorgeous bra for $19.99 (I thought).  $10 for an awesome bra!  I was so excited, so I went to ring up and realized that I had been distracted with Jackson and in a hurry and the sign actually said $19.99 and up.  The bra was still thirty odd dollars with my $10 off coupon.

I had to awkwardly tell the lady that I had been confused and that I didn't want the bra at that price.  Jackson at this point decided that he had had it and started screaming.  The cashier tried to hand me the bra and I probably was kind of rude when I said, "No. I don't want it."  Props to her because she was really cool about it and not rude at all when I came back to the register a few minutes later.

I was able to get him calmed down, which was nice, because I thought we were just going to have to go home at that point.  I found a concealer that was regularly $15.  It was on a 30% off sale and with my $10 off coupon I bought it for 53 cents.

So I went on a crazy fun little shopping spree and spent...$5.49

Thanks for reading!! P.S. I'm linking up with Beauty and the Greek and Manic Monday.