Trend for Less: Oversize Tee

I'm as big a fan of the "boyfriend fit" trend as anyone. What I'm not a fan of is spending $20 on a single cotton t-shirt.

After seeing a picture of Rachel Blison over at Frugal Fashionista though I knew I had to have an oversize tee of my own. Old Grace would have run out and bought an oversize tee regardless of the price tag. Instead I raided SSBF's closet and snagged one of his white Hanes undershirt's, size medium. Annnd...

Look at that kitty! How cute is she!

Ahem.. I mean, SSBF's tee is a dead ringer for the ones in stores. Throw a blazer on top and it's perfection!

If you don't have the luxury of 24 hour access to a man's closest you needn't worry. Head on over to your closest Target or Walmart and pick up a 3-pack for less then $10!

Best of all this entire outfit cost me $31 total for the blazer and sandals.

Blazer, J.Crew Outlet
T-Shirt, SSBF via Hanes
Shorts, DIYed from an old Gap pair of jeans
Sandals, Old Navy

Money & Relationships

There has been a lot of talk lately in the "blogosphere" regarding the financial aspects of being a fashion blogger. Just the other day Valerie from Beauty and the Budget wrote a post on money and relationships titled "Does Money Matter in Relationships". The title alone got me thinking about SSBF and myself.

Differing views on money tend to be a source of conflict in most relationships and clearly we reside at different ends of the spectrum. Did I ever tell you guys that he checks our ING sharebuilder account everyday and keeps a running tally of how much we've gained or lost? I can pretty much determine what kind of mood he will be in when I get home just by checking how the stock markets did. True story. In all seriousness though, arguments about money are a leading cause of divorce; A path I would rather not be on (no, we're not married yet, but a break-up would feel like a divorce).

So the question remains how have we made it almost four years with no major conflicts about money and spending?

Open Communication

Before we moved in with each other we pretty much laid our cards on the table. We discussed how much student loan debt we both had and how much credit card debt I had. We also continually discuss plans for paying for expenses when things change that affect out finances, like buying the house. We also made sure to set up a plan for who pays for what.

For example, since SSBF is currently making more money then me he pays $800 towards our mortgage and I pay the balance of $735. He was also kind enough to agree to pay for groceries, cable, and electric. My responsibility is to pay for the phone/internet. Now that I am making more money (then before) and I am close to paying off another of my credit cards I agreed to pick up the grocery tab once, maybe twice a month once the card is paid off.

Bottom line, we talk about all things financial.

Shared Savings

Even though we maintain individual checking accounts for paying bills, SSBF and I opened a joint savings account with ING Direct. By contributing to a savings account it turns my money or his money into our money, money that is meant to better our future together. I think the act of saving together shows the level of commitment you are willing to give to the relationship. Saving together also lets you put your future goals in perspective. As reckless as my spending used to be SSBF knows that I am working to change that through my continued contributions to the savings account.

We Share Control

Control also tends to be a source of conflict itself in relationships. While both of us have pretty strong opinions about how our money should be saved and spent neither of us have full control over the finances. Partly because we have individual checking accounts, but mostly because we respect each others opinions and are willing to compromise. When we opened our investment account it was at my prodding. I had made an initial investment of $500 and had set up an automatic transfer of $100/month after that. SSBF was not comfortable with that amount, so we changed it to $50/month. Done and done. No explosive argument, no silent treatment. He presented his opinion, I listened, and we agreed to a compromise.

We fulfill each others needs

Of course there is plenty of psychology to support why as opposites we can find some harmony. SSBF has the traits that I want, but lack and vice versa. You see, SSBF's ability to save and my willingness to spend complement one another in a funny way. I tend to buy a majority of the clothes for both of us. Without me, I'm pretty sure SSBF would still be walking around in clothes he bought his sophomore year in college because he doesn't know how to treat himself. Without SSBF I'm certain I would be living in a box on the corner if not with my parents stuck in a revolving door of debt because I know all too well how to treat myself.

I think the most important thing though that has kept us relatively conflict free is that SSBF has never made me feel bad about my debt. He's eager for it to go away, but has never held it against me or acted as if he was better then me. He understood it was a sensitive issue , and not something I was particularly proud of.

There really is hope for anyone in a relationship with their financial opposite, just make sure to keep the lines of communication open.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend! Enjoy the beaches, the bbq's, and of course, the sales!

run around on me, die without

Do you know what I will never get sick of? Business casual. That is of course after the initial rush and fuss of deciding on an outfit in the morning. I have been extra indecisive lately, it's been taking me forever to get ready for work. Maybe I need to start laying my clothes out the night before. I don't know if I could do that though. I am one of those people that packs the morning of a trip, it drives SSBF crazy. It's always hilarious in the morning because he practically has to drag me out of the house so I stop grabbing things I need "just in case".

This outfit materialized out of one of those mornings. I love it though. These pants are my favorite alternative to jeans. I don't think I wear them enough. They are twill and oh so comfortable, even when its hot. I've noticed lately that I have been wearing a lot of loose fitting tops. I think they are actually quite flattering on me, which is a surprise and I'll tell you why. The pictures here make my chest (at least I think) look deceptively small. Truth is, I am well, endowed, quite generously I never thought I could get away with anything "baggy" or striped for that matter because it would accentuate. It seems to do just the opposite though. Hooray!

I was feeling silly tonight so when SSBF told me to see how high I could kick my leg I quickly obliged. Judging by that height I need to start hitting the gym again and get my flexibility back.

I hope you are all having a wonderful start to your week.

When you have the time head over to Beauty and the Budget. Valerie was kind enough to feature my outfit from Friday in a series she is doing about looking chic on a budget. Check out the post here.Valerie is adorable and a blogger after my own heart with her budget friendly outfits and beauty ideas! Thank you Valerie!


*Scarf, Old Navy $10
*Top, Old Navy, $8
*Pants, J.Crew $59
*Sandals, Steve Madden via piperlime
*Necklace, Martin & Osa
|post title: Alligator-Teegan & Sara|

Must Have: LemLem Lucy Patio Dress

So I had this whole blog post scheduled for tonight about maxi dresses, something about relish, and taste buds. It was a whole thing. However when I got home the June J.Crew Catalogue had arrived and it changed my life.

Meet the LemLem Lucy Patio Dress.

Isn't she beautiful?
She is kind of like a maxi dress, except on a whole other level.
LemLem is from Liya Kebede's line of handmade garments. She started LemLem in an effort to help Ethopian weavers who were losing their jobs because of decreasing local demand.

After doing a little research I learned there was a lot more covet.
At the LemLem website there is an entire collection of beautiful, handmade scarves, dresses, and children's clothes.

Finally, I can feel good about spending $200 on a dress.


|photo courtesy of J.Crew June 10 catalogue|

Spending Diary: Alya of Kookulai!

I am so excited to announce yet another lovely blogger Alya from Kookulai that was brave enough to share her spending with us!

Take it away Alya...

 I am 23 from South Jersey, recently divorced and now living back with my mother. However, most the debt acquired over three years of marriage was in my name and though I have received some compensation, I'm still $40,000 in debt. My main goal is not to create any new debts and also to pay off what I do have as quickly as possible, but unfortunately I'm failing miserably.

Wednesday: $21 for lunch and tip with my best friend in the afternoon, and after work, $45 getting completely and unnecessarily drunk with coworkers at a dive bar. FYI, $45 buys a lot of drinks in said bar. A LOT.

Thursday: $2 for my boyfriend's coffee in the morning and a can of Sprite that I hoped would get rid of my hangover. (It did not, unfortunately.) Then I also bought pizza in the evening since he paid for the gas when we drove to the shore. That was $16.20.

Friday: I met my best friend again in the morning to discuss Wednesday night's follies, as we were both drinking in different locations. That was $8 for breakfast and tip. And a few bills had to be paid today. $25 to Gap and $30 to my Marshall's card- I always pay off my balance for both these in full each month, even overpay a bit. Then after work I went out to the 24 hour Wal-mart to buy an undergarment/shaper thing because I was invited out to a party and I wanted to wear a dress that required it. That was $8. A bottle of liquor for said party split between my friend and I was $10.

Saturday: Only $10 for gas, as I worked all day.

Sunday: Automatic student loan came out of my account, $52.76, and I gave my mother $300 for an installment of what I owe her for taking out a loan in her own name. I also got Ritas after work which cost $5.

Monday: I went to the local Salvation Army and bought a dress for $2.99. And this day I went to the Phillie's game, so gas was $20, toll for the bridge was $4, parking was $15 and the beer drank before was $6. I also spent $13.50 inside the park eating.

Tuesday: Had to get gas in my truck yet again, another $10 worth.

Total spent: $585.25

Observations: If I were not a borderline alcoholic I would save a lot of money. Alcohol alone was over 10% of what I spent This not only made me realize how much I spend on alcohol a week, since this is not an unusual display of my drinking habits, but also just how often I drink, which is disturbing. Another thing I noticed is that not many of my bills were due this week and therefore I never took my cash(I work as a server) to the bank. Mostly they come in the very beginning and end of the month, so I have a tendancy to overspend when I know I have time to remake the money and the cash is directly on hand.

My Thoughts: It sounds like what you need is structure. First and foremost, get that money to the bank! The best way to curb your spending is to eliminate the temptation. Make a consious effort to go to the bank at least once a week OR just take the money out of your wallet and stash it elsewhere until you can go (out of sight-out of mind).  Secondly, set a budget. Keep your spending diary going for the rest of the month and see where all your money ends up. It's can be tricky with variable income as a server but you should make a plan for your money based on both the best and worse case scenarios (you need to know what to do with an excess too!). Finally, be realistic. Sometimes you will go over budget on one category (ie. dinner & drinks) if you do, give something else up, maybe forego a clothing purchase or a Phillies game ?(I know,crazy.)

Definitely check out a budget site like Mint to get you started. It can track your spending for you without even breaking a sweat!

I love Alya mostly because she is breaking the mold of the fashion void that some think of the Philadelphia/South Jersey area. It's amazing how she can go from rough and tumble to soft and girly in an instant.If you want to learn more about Alya don't forget to check out her blog Kookulai.

***
As always, I am always looking for lovely ladies to feature for this weekly post, if you are interested
please feel free to e-mail me at grace.croshaw@gmail.com.

business in the front, party in the back.

Remember way back in January when I gushed about getting my hands on a pair of gray jeans from Martin & Osa? Yeah, me either. But I was able to track down the post I wrote here. I can't believe it was that long ago! I had tried them on back in February but had passed on them because the 26 was a little too snug, thank you sneaky winter weight gain, and I refused to go a size up (ridiculous, I know). In February they cost $99.50. Then sometime in April when I had already started my April Challenge they went on promotion for $59.50. I was definitely tempted. Then out of nowhere Martin & Osa decided to have the most amazing sale ever. The entire site was 30% off, full price and sale, bring the cost of the jeans down to about $41.75. Long story, a little less long, I bought them. 27's and all.

I picked up this navy blue top along with the jeans. For $27 this shirt is just short of amazing. It's called the "Mixed Media Top" rightly so. The front is 100% silk while the back is 100% jersey cotton. Auh-maz-ing. It's business in the front, party in the back, Ha! Like a mullet, only a gazillion times better. It has the most perfect amount of slouch to make it casual cool, without looking sloppy.

If you can't tell my my unusually large amount of pictures I can't get enough of this outfit, and yes the blazer is the one that has littered my last 3 outfit posts. It's just been one of those weeks, I felt like I needed to bring it full circle.

Anyways, the moral here is good things (like 60% off jeans) come to those who wait!

Have an amazing weekend!

ps. that sale is still going... head on over and check it out :)

* "Mixed Media Top", Martin & Osa

*Blazer, Gap

*Jeans, Martin & Osa

*Sandals, Steve Madden via Piperlime

*Initital Pendant, Delicate Raymond

One last photo for SSBF.. this one's his favorite.

Chloe

I was feeling a little lazy this morning (and spent most of my time ogling items at Urban Outfitters) so this is all I had time for...

The video is a little grainy and it was shot when we lived in the apartment, but I laugh everytime.

Who could know that a cat could play fetch.

Happy Friday!

Spend vs. Save: Bohemian

I've been wanting to do a post like this for awhile now. The only thing that has stopped me in the past is my own laziness. It's a lot of work to go searching around for all of the items! Kudos to you bloggers who do countless posts like this (that I love).

My inspiration for this set was none other then Nicole Richie. I don't know anyone, celebrity or otherwise, that pulls off the boho look better then her.

Spend vs. Save: Bohemian by GraceECro featuring Old Navy dresses

Items in this set:
Daughters of the Revolution Ruffle Mini Dress, $220
Old Navy Womens Smocked Drop-Waist Halter Dresses, $30
Petite Mid Wash Denim Jacket, 45 GBP
Balmain Giuseppe Zanotti for Balmain Beaded Sandals, $2,280
Toeses Are Roses Sandal - ModCloth, $28

Total Cost for Spend Outfit: $2754

Total Cost for Save Outfit: $123

Susana de Moya Foundation Fundraising Luncheon

SSBF and I were invited to attend the Susana de Moya Foundation's Fundraising Luncheon on Sunday afternoon by one of SSBF's students. The Susana de Moya Foundations purpose is to "merit acdemic excellence and inspire Dominican youth" and SSBF's student had applied for and been awarded a scholarship through this foundation! Pretty impressive for a 6th grader I would say. I don't think I knew what a scholarship was in 6th grade..

It was an amazing experience to be there despite the fact I needed most of the luncheon translated to me by the students mother because they did a majority of the speaking in Spanish. We got to enjoy some delicious Latin cuisine and I was even serenaded by an up and coming Latin artist.

The event itself was held at The Elkridge Club in Baltimore. Now a golf course and country club the Elkridge Club was once a hunt club formed around the time of the Civil War. The building is original to that time period and is absolutely amazing.

I've been wearing this blazer a lot lately. Maybe its redundant, but I just can' get enough of it. It's been the perfect way to finish off any outfit. The dress has seriously been sitting in my closet for four years. I had to rip the tags off ysterday before putting it on! Everything in time, but four years?!

Oh well.

*Dress, random store in Michigan

*Blazer, Gap Outlet

*Shoes, Aldo

*Bag, Dooney & Bourke-- Thank you SSBF mom.

Spending Diary: Ely from Ripped Nylon

Welcome to another edition of Money Smart Fashion's Spending Diary. Honestly, I did a horrible job keeping track of my spending this week. Luckily, Ely from Ripped Nylon was kind enough to pick up my slack and share her spending diary with us!

Hello my Frugal Fashionistas! I'm 23 years old, pursuing a Master's degree, living at home and working part time as an intern at a local firm.

 *disclaimer* This is a slightly warped projection of my spending, I did have a birthday and mother's day in the same week! Here goes...

Sunday: Gifts($71.96) for Mom, the BF and his Mom, Grandma, and Sister.

Monday: Had a lovely Thai dinner ($18.99) w/my BFF.

Tuesday: Sick, stayed home, miserable!

Wednesday: Still sick, I went to the mall an hour before closing time to avoid the crowd and find a gift ($35.29) for my cousin's birthday and recent graduation. Also picked up a summer dress ($19.99) I promised my youngest sister and gave in to the temptation of American Apparel's Le Sac dress and even got an alternate Le String, ($48.00).

Thursday:Still home and sicktastic, bought food for the middle child. ($10.54)

Friday: For $26.00, bought a domain name and host space to get my online portfolio rolling. (and yes, still home, can you believe it?!)

Saturday:($17.00) on rings for Mom & I; My cousin's grad/birthday party is Sunday (tomorrow) and we were lacking essential accessories... ok, I confess... we just couldn't resist! ($24.00) for Papa John's when my parents abandoned my sister and I in the house.

Total Spent: $271.77

Thoughts: Nearly $300 and almost nothing to show for it! I know for a fact that I habitually spend most of my money on other people, but this week was pretty out of control in that category. I obviously need to stop overextending myself when I have grad school to pay for! I also have to cut down on spoiling myself, which shouldn't be too hard because while I was still in school I wasn't even making weekly what I spent here. I like the idea of stepping up and taking control, my savings are next to nothing and I'd like to move out by the end of the year, so this was pretty eye-opening as to how loosely I handle my hard-earned money. I feel like this is both empowering and humbling, and will definitely keep this going!

Great Job Ely! I think that your biggest area of opportunity to maximize your savings would be your spending on others. Set a (realistic) budget, I would recommend maybe 5-7% of your monthly take home pay, for the amount of money you think is reasonable to spend on others. By keeping track throughout the month you will know when its time to say no. Also, its seems you may be a bit of an impulsive buyer. Take a minute to think before buying those impulse items. Maybe even do a lap around the store or mall before purchasing to make sure you truly want that item.

If you want to learn more about Ely and her amazing eye for fashion head on over to her blog Ripped Nylon. I always love her interesting architectural finds. Thank you so much for sharing your spending this week!

As always, I am always looking for lovely ladies to feature for this weekly post. If you are interested e-mail me at grace.croshaw@gmail.com.

chase you down until you love me, paparazzi.

Holy crap it's Thursday! I can't believe how fast this week has gone. 

When I was working at Enterprise a week like this would have lasted a lifetime. Between the rain and cold I would have come home a miserable ball of contempt. However I work inside now, in a cozy (alabeit chilly) office for the duration of my day. It's kind of amazing.

I've been trying to restrain myself from gushing about my new job. I have to say though I didn't realize how awful Enterprise was and how depressed I was with my job until I started working on Monday. Everyday I've come home full of energy and I actually look forward to getting ready in the morning. It's a welcome change of pace for SSBF and I.

Speaking of SSBF and I, we've been on a spending frenzy. I can hardly believe it. Like I mentioned earlier in the week we spent a good part of Saturday, and about $150 working on the garden. Then on Sunday another $140 to organize the guest bedroom. Well last night we spent the better part of $700 on a patio set, charcoal grill, and various supplies (like charcoal). I think we can finally say our outdoor area is complete!

Hopefully now I can go back to spending my money on important things, like the It's a Wonderful Top in Wisteria from Modcloth.

PS. if you haven't seen it, check out this little kid singing "Paparazzi" it's amazing.

*Dress, Target

*Tights, Gap

*Blazer, Gap Outlet

*Watch, Guess

Post Title: Lady Gaga "Paparazzi"

the weekend that got away...

This weekend came and went right before my eyes without a single outfit picture to show for it. Sorry ladies.

Friday night I went out to celebrate my last day at Enterprise oddly enough with people that don't work there anymore either. It was great. We started the night with dinner at Ryleigh's Oyster and followed it up with beer and bar shuffleboard at Don't Know? Tavern. Both amazing places in Federal Hill (Baltimore). SSBF and I don't get down to Baltimore often so this was a nice change of pace for us. Bar shuffleboard was aweosme. Seriously. I want one of those things for my basement.

On Saturday I realized why gardening is considered a hobby. SSBF and I spent the better part of 5 hours slash an entire afternoon working on both the front and back of the house. I spent at least an hour on just pulling up crab grass that was overtaking an area of the garden in the back. We desperately wanted to add some color so we bought some annuals to scatter about. Marigolds for the front and Impatiens for the back.

 |Marigolds|

|Hydrangea|

|Various flowers in the back of the house|

We also laid some mulch down to cover up our icky looking clay soil. It's incredible how different it looks. This week we will be heading to Lowe's to purchase this patio set, then the backyard will be complete!

Finally on Sunday I had resigned myself to cleaning in prepartion for my parents visit next weekend. In an attempt to clean the floor under our sofa I started moving furniture around. You see SSBF and I have never been 100% happy with the layout of our living room. Well, that one innocent little act turned into something completely different. I ended up moving the papazan chair that resided collecting dust in the corner of our living room to the guest bedroom. Which then led to a need to reorganize that. I had been using it as my own personal shoe closet. So after a 2 hour trip to target behold I ended up with the most amazing set up for most of my shoes. The more seasonal ones are resting in an organizer under the day bed.

ahhh, like a dream come true and with each unit costing 12.99 each (3 shown here) it was a rather cheap project.

I love productive weekends.

Spending Diary: Week 3

Sunday: I splurged today on a pair of Steve Madden cuffed sandals that I have wanted for what feels like a lifetime. After tax they cost me $82.34. I went to Marshal's, a rare trip for me to see if I could find them at a discount and I did, except they were black and I wanted the cognac. I had convinced myself to settle for the black ones because they were half the price at $35.99. I had even gone as far as getting in line to buy them but at the last minute I decided to not settle and buy the ones I wanted. I also bought some lottery tickets for us. $200 million? Yes please. Lottery tickets: $5

Monday: Automatic payments for Mortgage ($735.16) and car ($380.85) came out today.

Tuesday: Lunch with Mark today. Spent $12.06 (including tip) to eat half of the sandwich I ordered. That’s the one thing I hate about eating out, I always ending up paying for twice the food I can eat. But I guess that’s more of a proportion problem. Luckily, I work with all guys and was able to bring my lunch back to the office for someone to eat and not waste

Wednesday: SSBF needed post-it notes for a lesson, $ 7.41 for a pack of sticky notes, talk about expensive! Then I had to make a trip to Giant, a grocery store, to pick up ingredients for the cupcakes I was making. I threw my own little going away party at work. $16.90

Thursday: I was supposed to go to lunch today with my good friend Candace that also works at Enterprise. I was bummed when she had to cancel because she couldn't get out of the branch, but I think my wallet and my waist were pretty happy. My automatic payment to my cell phone hit though, $78 for mu blackberry per month.

Friday: Free at laaast. For the first time since we moved here SSBF and I went out in Federal Hill with some friends to celebrate the end of my Enterprise career. Luckily, SSBF picked up the dinner tab. I just paid for parking:$14. Also filled up the gas tank for the week $35.05

Saturday: Went to pick up some kitty food at Petsmart: $16.06 and since we missed Chick-fil-a dinner last night I promised SSBF I would make it up to him. So we had it for dinner tonight, my treat: $17.75.

Total Spent: $1395.58

Thoughts: I spent a lot on food related items this week, very abnormal for me. The shoes were definitely a splurge. I can't remember the last time I spent that much on sandals but they came, and I love them very much. I also waited an entire month for them. I am starting to feel more in control of my spending. It's a really good feeling.

*** I am looking for guest posts for this weekly topic. If you are interested in being featured in a spending diary post please e-mail me at grace.croshaw@gmail.com.

Meet my mom.

This is my favorite photo of her. It was taken the day of my baptism almost 26 years ago. The exposure is dark and the picture candid but I love seeing my mom in this effortlessly chic kind of way. It's funny because I think if I came across that top in a thrift store I would totally want to rock it. We are so similiar to one another we drove each other crazy when I was growing up, but she always put up with me. 

Although her style is much more casual now then it used to be I know deep down I got my style from her(not to mention her spending habits!). 

Mom, this is your day and because I can't be with you on it I just want to quickly say Happy Mother's Day.

I love you Mom!

Oh and SSBF Mom, if your reading. Happy Mother's Day to you as well :)

"i don't know why you say goodbye, i say hello"

This week could not possibly go any slower then it already has. But I know tomorrow is going to last a lifetime since it is my last day at Enterprise. Why is it that time seems to crawl when you are looking forward to something?

I've noticed a black, white, grey theme to my outfits the past couple posts my first instinct is uninspired but at the same time its what I've felt the most comfortable in lately.

I was pretty excited that Wednesday was chilly enough in the morning that I had the opportunity to wear the knit blazer I got at the J.Crew outlet over the weekend. Although it feels heavy it actually felt comfortable throughout the day, even when the temperature hit the 80's. It was especially amazing in the AC. I think I might get a few more miles out of it this summer then expected.

With my work dress code changing to business casual I think I will miss wearing this skirt the most. I bought it from the Limited when I first started my job 2 years and 9 months ago for $15. Back then I was excited at the idea of dressing up each morning in "business clothes". Now I long for the weekends and my choice of denim. What drew me to the skirt was its high waist, pleating, and wide belt loops. If you want your legs to look miles long, this skirt is for you.

Anyways, as much as I am looking forward to tomorrow, it is kind of sad to say good bye to the people I have befriended over the past 2+ years. Tomorrow is going to be bittersweet for sure.

 

Skirt: Limited

Shirt: Old Navy

Blazer: J.Crew Outlet

Shoes: Marc Fisher via Macy's

[[ Post Title: The Beatles, Hello Goodbye]]