Today I’m going to talk about something I don’t often do, and that is one of my side hustles of selling boutique women and children’s clothing.
I’m never sure how much to talk about my Etsy shop, clothing sales, or other side gigs here, but I decided since this blog is all about living life colorfully, with vibrant lifestyle photography, that it’s indeed *quite* up my alley to share beautiful things I love and want to share with others.
Today, I’m sharing my own product review and images of the latest June 2017 launch of The Adventure Begins, because it is so stinkin’ adorable.
Before we start, please keep in mind you can get everything you see here, and much, much more, on my website here, and be the first to know about sales and get in on my 50% sample sales by joining my private group, here.
First up: the big girls’ line. It’s so pretty in my daughter’s favorite pastels: pink and purple. You might have noticed one of our sweetest new additions in yesterday’s DIY Ice Cream Stand post.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.#BigLotsHoliday #CollectiveBias
‘Tis the season for awkward social encounters…lots of them. In my world, a casual meet up with a friend or acquaintance can turn into a days-long internal debate about whether to bring a gift. What if they bring one? What if I bring one, but they don’t? In the past, you could just write me off as a hot mess, socially impaired mom during the whole month of December. However, this year I’m prepared. I got this.
Since I’m on a roll about all-things BTS lately, I decided to share a few of my back to school must haves. These are items I’ve found that work especially well and make my life easier…or just more attractive :).
Every year I try my best to create an inexpensive capsule wardrobe for back to school on a budget – which for me is $150 or less. I’m sharing what I’ve pulled together for my big boy this year in the hopes that it will inspire you to shop some stylish looks for your little big(ish) guy, for less.
The temperature is dropping here in the Midwest and it’s time to begin thinking of adding to the fall wardrobe. I’m absolutely loving what I’m seeing this season: glam accents like faux fur and leather, studs and spikes, sleek silhouettes and soft textures. I especially love the affordable finds I’m seeing at Forever 21 this season. Check out a few of my favorites here:
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Looking for a last-minute Halloween costume, on a budget? Shop your closet and go as Liz Lemon of 30 Rock! Who cares that the show ended two years ago? Tina Fey is always in style. Plus, there are cheese puffs involved.
This one came a little naturally to me – I often get comments that I remind people of Tina Fey when I wear my glasses. Having spent half my life in corporate, I pretty much already have all the makings of a Liz Lemon wardrobe (for better or worse), but you can shop the look below.
For many, it feels like school just got out for the summer. But in our neck of the woods, summer is already more than half over! Every year I scour summer sales to help build our back to school wardrobe on a budget. I try to find a variety of mix and match pieces to maximize our budget in style. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:
What do you think? Do you shop sales early for back to school season, or do you wait for the fall sales?
Thanks for stopping by!
* In addition to being featured in the fabulous blogs buttoned up in the right sidebar, this post was also linked up at The Scoop and The Turquoise Home.
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Our Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker gets used all. summer. long. We’ve tried and love nearly all the recipes that come with it, and also use it to whip up a few of our own exclusive homemade recipes, as well. Buy it along with the extra freezer bowl at Williams-Sonoma now for just $56 with the 20% discount!
While you’re at it, pick up one of these adorable functional Tovolo Ice Cream containers (that is, if you ever plan on having leftovers!).
On the topic of frozen treats, we’re big fans of these Sunsella Mighty Pops silicone popsicle molds. I like that I can make a healthy frozen smoothie that the kids can have in the car on the way to school or to pack in their lunch box. In the summers, we love to make popsicles and other frozen treats. One of our recent favorites is a refreshing Strawberries and Cream Lemonade Pops recipe that can be found here.
RMS Living Luminizer. This is the holy grail of fresh dewy luminizing makeup – perfect for your summer makeup routine.My skin is dry, and I find that when I stay hydrated and moisturized and use this product my skin looks its best. Just apply a small amount on your cheekbones, brow bones and temples.
Old Navy distressed RockStar denim. These are part of my summer uniform lately. They are the perfect blend of lightweight, stretchy denim that look great with a casual tee or dressed up for GNO – and the price can’t be beat. Remember to size up 1-2 sizes with these!
Here I am wearing a similar pair them while modeling my copycat Anthro tank.
Last but not least is the Rosy Outlook Planner. No matter how advanced technology is, I still need a paper planner to map out my lists, meetings and reminders. Once I saw this planner I was smitten. It’s only July, but I’ve already pulled the trigger on this 2016 planner laced with inspirational messages, cute stickers and the week by week layout I prefer.
Thanks for stopping by to see what I’m loving lately!
I was browsing Anthropologie recently and fell in love with this Striped Heart Tank by Sundry:
So. cute. But the price tag is not so cute. $70 for a cotton tank? No thanks! But it kept popping up in my Facebook feed, willing me to buy it.
That’s when I decided to try to make it myself, but finding a plain white tank was a lot harder than I expected. I ended up just getting a Faded Glory tank from Wal-Mart on a recent grocery trip. It was the first white tank I found without a pocket, and at $3.96, the price was right!
I whipped up an 8″ x8″ template in Photoshop:
I then loaded the pattern into my Silhouette software. My usual method is to use clear contact paper in my Silhouette to make a template because you can get a giant roll for less than $5. Then I use a Tulip soft fabric paint, making sure to insert cardboard into the shirt first to prevent bleeding to the other side. The best part of this application method is that it’s incredibly inexpensive and long lasting.
This time, however, I happened to have some leftover heat transfer vinyl from a project last year. I ran my design through the Silhouette, removed the excess vinyl, and ironed it on.
Next, I added a bit of contrast stitching along the bottom hemline to give it a more expensive, custom look.
I adore this tank and have gotten so many compliments on it. When Eve first saw it, she insisted on a matching tank (I found two great , inexpensive options here and here). I just shrunk the template slightly ( to about 5.25″ x 5.25″) and applied it using the same method. Again, in retrospect I probably would have gone bigger for this one, as well. For this top, I did more stitching to more closely replicate the inspiration top. Instead of using the sewing machine, I hand stitched the hemlines using flossing thread to get that perfectly imperfect look. think it’s even cuter in this mini size!
I hope you’re a fan of my copycat chic Striped Heart Tank. Thanks for stopping by!
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Our annual family photos are coming up quickly in just a few weeks – and I have been putting off the decision of what to wear. I normally have a vision and this time…I just don’t. Which is your favorite wardrobe theme?
UPDATE: Find my updated Back to school wardrobe for boys here and here. Since this is an older post and continues to get a lot of Pinterest traffic, I do my best to link to similar items from this set, below. Thanks for stopping by!
Little Dub is going to be in kindergarten this year. He’ll be going full days, every day. I have to admit I’m a little nervous for him – it will be a huge change, but one that I think will be good for him. He will be wearing a uniform this year which is pretty uninspiring fashion-wise, but I was pretty happy when I scored his full wardrobe during the Old Navy uniform sale for only around $110!
Even though Dub will be in uniform, I had fun laying out a back to school wardrobe for boys. My goal was to put together a minimum of 10 outfits for $150. I failed – mostly because the pants alone accounted for around $60 of the budget. However, if you chose a less expensive brand for the pants and denim this set would be much closer to $150.
Where are you finding the best wardrobe staples for boys this fall?
