And We're BACK!

Happy Friday! Closet Couture is finally up and running again, I know it sounds stupid but sometimes it's easier to see different outfit combinations when I am using my online closet than when I am just staring inside my actual closet.  I was kind of happy with my outfits this week but I scoured the Internet today and I found some really cute ideas I will be putting into my wardrobe just to mix it up a bit.  

I was also really excited to find a series from blogger Audrey at Putting Me Together entitled "Remixing".  I really think it is crucial to learn the art of remixing, so that you can truly get the most of your wardrobe and not have to invest in so many pieces, season after season.  I think this is the key for me to saving money (by not buying as many pieces of clothing) but still feel as if I am able to keep it interesting.  I think that getting bored of your wardrobe is a big reason why a lot of people go shopping (it is for me at least).  But by learning how to remix and as Audrey puts is "reimagine" your pieces you can create so many different outfits, that actually FEEL like different outfits, it will be hard to get bored!  So stay tuned for my takes on Audrey's Putting Me Together's series.  The next part of the series she promises will show you how to shop for versatile pieces! Can't wait Audrey (hope you don't mind me quoting you and gloating over you!)

This is the kind of remixing Audrey shows you! Love it! One dress so many options!

Moving on to this past week, below are my outfits for this week!

My Outfits- Closet Couture

Tuesday: Needed to dress warm it was COLD out! (wasn't I just saying how warm it was last week?)

Swearter/Ann Taylor                                                                        Jean Jacket/Gap Outlet                                         Pants/Loft                                                            Shirt/Thrifted                                                                                  Shoes- Gap                                                                          Necklace/Old Navy                                                                 Earrings/?

My Outfits- Closet Couture

Wednesday: Needed to dress up for work, but be warm! I also wore one of the clip on flowers I got from Payless attached to my necklace.  I kind of looked girly (where did that come from? I confess I kind of like it!)

Blazer/Esprit (this is one just like it)

Belt/New York & Co

Earrings/Target ($1!)

Necklace/Old Navy (I think?)

Skirt/New York & Co

Shirt/Max Studio (Marshalls)

Flower Pin/Hairclip/Payless

Boots/Aerosoles (Marshalls)

Thursday: Tried wearing a belt over an open cardigan, had to add the blazer to make it look right!

My Outfits- Closet Couture

Blazer/H&M

Cardigan/Gap

Tank/Esprit (this is one like it)   

Necklace/Gifted 

Earrings/New York & Co

Belt/Charming Charlie

Shoes/Two Lips

My Outfits- Closet Couture

Friday: It was a really cold and snowy day, so I had to dress appropriately with a sweater AND a blazer.  I have never wore this sweater with a blazer before.  I forgot how much I like this sweater (it was a gift from my husband...he gets so excited when I wear it!).

Sweater/Gifted (New York & Co)
Necklace/H&M
Shoes/Payless
Jeans/Levis
Blazer/Gap
Earrings/Gifted







 Have a great weekend!




{np}

The Special Occasion that never happened...

I don't know if you're like me, but I am in the habit of saving something for a special occasion.  It doesn't matter what it is; clothes, purses, jewelry, wine, recipes, etc.  
 
I do this a lot with my clothes and purses especially.  I think to myself I am going to save this tuxedo blazer for a special occasion or only when I need to dress up for work because I want to keep it looking nice, but what inevitably keeps happening is I then only wear it a few times before the season changes, and you budget fashionistas would really not the appreciate the cost per wear ratio on this one!

So I decided to wear ALL of my clothes, ALL the time no matter what the occasion.  No more waiting for a special occasion to wear my favorite "fancy" skirts, blazers, cardigans.  This way I can enjoy them more often and my cost per wear would truly be worth it.  


These are just some of the ideas I found online of dressing down a blazer.  I have SO many blazers and I truly love to wear them.  Not only are they warm but they also hide the love handles that I am constantly trying to mask with my clothes.  


What do you save for special occasions, how would you dress it down so you could wear it more often?

sarahtheenvoy.blogspot.com

~np

Shop It To Me- .com

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to post my outfits for the past few days, due to the fact that the Closet Couture website is down.  When they are back up and running I will post my outfits from the week.  

Since I am taking this opportunity, I thought I would share this website I have been using.  It's called Shop It To Me. This website is a free virtual personal shopper.  

Shop It To Me

Once you sign up, you will get to choose the price range of the clothing you would like to see, the sale percentage you would like to see and the retailers you are interested in looking at.  Once you start looking at the items it finds, you can adjust to show only what brands you want to see, the items as well as adjusting the price.  

I use Shop It To Me to see all of the sales going on in the stores I shop at.  Instead of going to the stores' individual websites I can go to one place and see everything that is on sale!  You can even sign up for an alerts to be sent to your email.  Once you find an item you like just click the item and Shop It To Me will direct you to the retailers website!  

It's so easy to use and I love the fact that I only have to go to one website to see what is on sale instead of going to 10 different websites!

~np

 

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3465795/when-in-doubt-wear-red?claim=aw4m6yjtjr8">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Something blue

Don't you just love when birthdays keep going and going.  Yesterday was the first time I have seen my in-laws since before my birthday.  And when I got to their house there was a beautiful birthday gift waiting for me. 

Besides the Starbucks Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate, they gave me a necklace and earrings from Pier 1 (they make jewelry?!).  For my outfit today I needed to dress warmer and I wanted to wear my new jewelry set.  I actually switched the shorter rope on the necklace for a longer one to compliment my outfit. 

Starbucks

Pier 1

Pier 1

My Outfits-Closet Couture

 Sweater/Marshalls

Blazer/Apple Bottoms (Macy's)

Jeans/Levis

Shoes/eBay

Necklace & Earrings/Pier 1

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday! Today was another semi-casual day.  I really wanted to try and wear stripes, it seems that this trend is just getting hotter and hotter.  I have been shying away from stripes because I've always heard that women with large "girls" shouldn't wear horizontal stripes.  However, I found a shirt at Marshalls that was blousy enough to keep the "girls" looking good and I tucked in the shirt and belted it so it looked like I had a waist! I pared it with a color blazer and jeans!

My Outfits- Closet Couture

Blazer/H&M

Earrings/gifted

Necklace/?

Belt/JcPenney (attached to a dress)

Jeans/Gap Outlet

Shoes/Gap

Belts
This is one technique I have found to be really helpful.  A lot of times it is hard for women with big "girls" to wear shirts that not only fit them but that don't make them look 30 lbs heavier than they are.  I started wearing belts in the last year with everything.  And recently I have added wearing skinny belts.  If you find just the right spot to wear the belt it can really make you look the size you really are (instead of two sized larger).  I tend to wear my wide belts around the biggest part of me, I know this sounds contradictory to everything you've read, but I do it to hide and synch in my love handles.  I find that if I wear the belt right under my bust which is the smallest part of me I accentuate my love handles.  But if I wear the belt around my waist and love handles it camouflages this.  When I wear skinny belts I tend to wear those right underneath my bust and I don't synch them too tight, but that way it accentuates the smallest part of me without shining a spotlight on my love handles. I recently read a fashion blog where the fashionista wore a scarf as a belt.  I intend to try this next week! To read  about Kenzie Faith's scarf belt idea click here.

Kenzie Faith

Winter?!

This warm weather is just freaking me out! It's 52 degrees in February in the Midwest! I decided to wear florals today via a scarf since it feels like Spring! I have been practicing today on different ways to tie a scarf (see the great video below for ideas or see Wendy's Lookbook blog).  

My Outfits- Closet Couture

 Tshirt/Loft

Cardigan/Gap Oulet

Necklace/Gifted

Pants/New York & Co

Shoes/Gap

Bracelet/?

Wendy's Lookbook

Shades of Gray

Today I was able to be casual, but since it's so warm here I decided to wear a skirt!  I didn't wear tights today but wore knee high socks that are a lighter color shade of gray than my boots.  I also wore a gray corduroy long jacket over all of this, because although it's pretty warm out it's not warm enough to go out without a jacket.  I was very happy at my attempt to dress down a black skirt!

My Outfits- Closet Couture

Tshirt- Gap ($5.99)

Belt- H&M

Skirt- Thrifted

Boots- Kmart

Blazer- eBay

Earrings- amazon.com