finally....

I have been searching what feels like everywhere for a striped maxi dress. I've exhausted myself looking at a billion different places online for just a simple striped dress. Then on Wednesday I went to the mall to order my aforementioned J.Crew bikini and mosied on into Gap which was right across the way and there it was. It was hanging so innocently in the store, as if it was just waiting for me to come along.  I've considered the possiblity that I have a shopping addicition since I knew immediately that I was not leaving the store without it. I'm not going worry until I start hiding bills in places like my freezer.

On another note SSBF went out to dinner this weekend to Olive Garden. It's one of SSBF's favorites and we used to go all the time in Michigan but not so much snce we moved to Maryland. I can honestly say I think it was the worst experience I've ever had at Olive Garden. When our name was called the hostess that was seating us didn't even say a word, she just started walking toward the dining area. We didn't know we were supposed to follow her until one of the other hostesses told us to. Then I didn't realize until we sat down that we weren't even given proper menus. I tried 3 times to get someone's attention but they kept walking right by. Finally, our waiter came to take our drink order and had to find us menus. When we did get a menu they were completely trashed, SSBF's was practically ripped in two. Not to mention the floors were filthy.

It was awful. Luckily the food was still delicious.  

ps. How cute is SSBF? I will never know why he doesn't let me take pictures of him!

Dress, Gap $49.50

Sandals, Target $9.99

Scarf, Old Navy $10

What I Want... right now.

I posted this list of lust-worthy items over on my Stylespotter blog for Lucky Magazine but could not resist sharing them with you guys as well!

What I want now by GraceECro featuring J Crew shorts

items clockwise starting from top left:

1&2. Pebble Tank and Palimino Scarf: Spotted Moth
3 &4. Pointillist Dress and High Summer Dress: Madewell
5. Multi Scribble Stem Print Super Maxi Sling Bag: Orla Keily via piperlime
6. Braid: Chalres by Charles David via piperlime
7. Georgette Mini Short: J.Crew
8. Mosaic Beaded Belt: Anthropologie

A few of these items like the Pebble Tank and Palimino Scarf both from Spotted Moth are well within my budget at $22.99 and $9.99 respectively but the others, like the Madewell dresses ($88 and $148) will probably have to stay on my wishlist.

Regardless of their price, each one of these pieces make me think: bring on the summer heat!

taken from...

Friday morning I woke up for the first time in two weeks, since starting my group personal training, not sore. It was thrilling. To celebrate I decided I wanted to wear my platform wedges to work and then preceded to build my outfit from the gound up. I've always loved how navy blue plays with the purple and red in this skirt. It's not uncommon for me to pair a navy blue shirt with it and call it a day. I decided to take a different approach this time and pair it with this tank I impulsively grabbed at Old Navy for like $5.

We took these pictures at one of the gazillion business parks in Columbia. I was consumed with wanting steps in my pictures. Why? I don't know. I just wanted them. So SSBF, the wonderful loving boyfriend he is, drove me around to find some. Well actually when we had set out we knew where we were heading. When we got there though there was a single car in the lot parked squarely in front of the steps I intended to use which is what led us to a little driving around.

Anyway, on our drive I realized Columbia is literally covered in these business parks housing small business to doctor's offices to large corporations. It's very uninteresting.  I love our little house and the fact that our street name is taken from the work of John Greenleaf Whittier (all the street names in Columbia are taken from great works of literature or art, something I just learned today!), but I would love a more intersting landscape then business parks. Is that too much to ask of an already developed city?

Top, Old Navy $5

Skirt, Urban Outfitters ??

Sweater, Limited $10

Shoes, ALDO $60

ready for fall

Yes summer has just begun, but when you work on a retail calendar it means it's almost time for "back to school" which makes the transition to fall closer than you think. J.Crew (are you really surprised?) put into pictures just how I imagine myself looking come late summer and early fall. Plus its been so hot around here I've been trying to imagine cooler weather!

all photos courtesy of J.Crew July 10 Catalogue

my plan to pay off $7,500 of debt

My creativity has been pumping over the last couple days. I think I have come up with more ideas for blog posts then I even know what to do with. More importantly though I think I have come up with away to tackle my credit card debt once and for all and within one year. dun dun dunnn.

That's right. I am planning on paying off $7573.43 in less then 12 months!

I'm excited just thinking about it. I've never actually had a solid plan in the past. Which is probably part of the reason I've been shouldering this debt as long as I have. I've never felt so motivated  to get rid of it all.

Here is the game plan. I've broken my single goal into two smaller (easily surmountable?) ones. My first goal is to have $3786.72 (half) paid off by Jan 1 2011. Leaving the remainder to be paid off by June 1 2011.

According to the Credit Card Payoff calculator at feedthepig.org it will take about $677/month to clear half of the balnce. I don't have an extra $677 a month so I'm taking a different route. My current monthly payment is $300/month. Starting in July I am upping it to $400 so over the next 6 months I will pay $2400 toward my goal. In Spetember I will receive another student loan refund. I am going to use that to make up for my shortfall and pay about $1600 more.

Now, for the second half of the year I will continue to pay $400/ month and am planning on using either my tax refund or bonus (if we get one) from work to get rid of the rest.

Done and Done. Credit Card debt free!

Now it's your job to keep me on track. Good luck with that :)

.

Monday, Monday.

Ahhh.. another weekend. I swear these things go by far too fast. I can't really complain though when my biggest problem is feeling a little lost in my own sense of style. I seriously have not been this happy in a long time. SSBF and I had a relaxing weekend. We worked in our garden, went to see Jonah Hex (his choice) and then went to the bookstore.It's been a loooong while since I actually read a book. The decision came down to a classic; "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand or an all too common for me economics book called "Naked Economics" by Charles Wheelan. I went with the classic.

SSBF laughed at me when I threw this blazer on to go to the movie, mainly because it was 90 degrees outside. Jokes on him though because this blazer is gauzy and lightweight. I didn't feel any hotter outside and in the movie theater I actually remained a comfortable temperature. Why I really wore it though is because I loved how the striped patterns complemented one another. (Pardon the blurriness, my camera unlike me, hates stripes). I was also feeling slighty under dressed in my tank and shorts. I think that means I'm getting old.

I'm sure you noticed a slight change to the upper righthand corner of the blog. It's in anticipation of a post I have coming for you guys later this week. And let me tell you it is exciting! I really can't wait to share it with you all. But, you have to wait until then:)

Blazer, Banana Republic Outlet $20
Tank, Target $15
Shorts, Gap $19

Money Smart... Beauty!

After reviewing a product for AVEENO and Lucky over at Stylespotter,I thought I would share with you guys the rest of my beauty routine. As I mentioned it is minimal at best. I realized a couple years ago after a thorough cleaning (or purging) session that I was collecting items that I barely, or more likely never, used. I had nail polish and eye shadow galore that never actually ended up on my nails and face respectively. All that those products represented was wasted money. I was so naive when I was younger too. I don't know where it came from, but I had this notion that if " it wasn't sold in Sephora it was no good". Seriously. Ridiculous.

As an older and (hopefully) wiser Grace I have pared down my beauty collection to 9 items that I basically couldn't live without.

Beauty Routine by GraceECro on Polyvore.com

1. Clinique Even Better Foundation $24
2. C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries Ultra Mentha Lip Shine $7
3. CoverGirl Lash Blast Mascara $7
4. CoverGirl Exact Eyelights Eyeliner $7
5. Benefit Hoola Bronzer $28
6. AVEENO Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer $14
7. AVEENO Positively Radiant Daily Cleanser $7
8 & 9. Redken Color Extend Shampoo & Conditioner $28 (for both)

I like to think that my "must haves" are a healthy balance between high and low. One thing I've learned is that it is ok to spend for quality items. For example, I think that having a good foundation is important since it is the basis of everything you put on your face. One of my other big ticket items, the shampoo and conditioner is important too. My hair is color treated and tends to dry out easily. The longer I can keep my hair soft and vibrant, the longer I can go between appointments. Which ultimately saves money despite the upfront investment. However, I've also found that mascara for is most part is mascara whether you pay $5 or $50. So I found a drug store brand that does what I want at a reasonable price. As for the others it all ended up being about preference. I've tried products from all over the price spectrum but the ones I've been using are the ones that felt right.

So, how do you spend your beauty dollars?

I'm from Philly, I'll cut you.

You thought there was going to be a cat post today didn't you?

 Sorry to disappoint, it's just me! Maybe next Friday...

I've been thinking a lot about my own style lately and I think this outfit pretty much sums it up. I realize to some this would be totally drab, but for me its feels right. Just some simple pieces and a pop of color, or in some cases a texture, or an interesting print. That's all I need to feel confident.

I say this only because it is so easy to get wrapped up in other people's definitions of style. In this blogging world it so easy lose yourself trying to emulate someone else's interpretation of style. Sometimes I feel like I try to portray what I think others want to see instead of what's in my heart. It's only natural. You've all been there right? You don't realize you are doing it until you have like this a ha! moment.
Anyway, I don't want to get all psychological on you, so I thought I would share some of the pictures I normally wouldn't for the sake of my own image.



This is gang member Grace, notice the gang sign. Don't mess with her, she'll cut you.

This would be the softer side of Grace. The ballerina. Such good form...

Have a good weekend!

Top, New York & Company, $15!
Jeans, Martin & Osa, $40
Shoes, Keds, $35?

 

two things I know are certain

First, I have officially paid off my second to last credit card for $2701! Woo! It was very exciting to log onto the bank website and see $0.00 as my balance. This credit card has been haunting me for a long time. You see that balance had originated on my very first credit card. It was from my bank in Michigan. When I moved to Maryland and I opened an account here I had the balance transferred to a new card that came with a 0% intro rate.

My goal was to pay off that card while the rate was still zero. However that never happened and after 3 years of my balance hovering around 3,000 I was sick of it. See my problem with paying down debt is that I don't make it a priority. Shoes, clothes, handbags, those are my priorities which makes paying down a debt a lengthy process for me.

Here is the catch though. I used money from my student loan refund to do it. Technically,I'm not in any less debt then I was. So what's the point? Well, student loan debt, especially federal loans, come with a much smaller price tag in terms of interest then a typical credit card. By paying my credit cards off I am "saving" money on my interest payments.

My next goal is to tackle my remaining Visa card with the largest balance of them all, $7200. Sadly enough that card at one point carried a balance of over $11,000. I have been slowly chipping away at it over the years but now that the rest are paid off it is time to get rid of this thing for good! I'm currently crafting a plan of attack that will maximize how much I pay towards the card while still appeasing SSBF by taking on more of our monthly expenses.

Secondly, this is going to be a whole other challenge now that Madewell has launched it's online shop. The only thing that has kept me from buying everything in this store in the past was the fact that I had to go the the busiest mall (Tyson's Corner) I've ever seen to get it. Now it's all within reach. And with looks like this, how do I resist?

All pictures from Madewell.com

I'm so glad it's the weekend. I don't know what I was thinking when I decided to take an accounting class two nights a week and play softball in between. Starting on Tuesday I am going to be adding a personal training class on Tuesdays and Thursdays during my lunch courtesy of UA (Under Armour). I'm tired just thinking about all that!

I braved my office AC on Friday so I could finally wear this dress that I spent most of May ogling at Martin & Osa. Have I mentioned I like them? It's bittersweet that they will be closing their doors (hence the perpetual sale, they are liquidating). However, if they weren't closing up shop I would have never snagged this dress 50% off. 

Whether this comes as a suprise or not, I'm not a big dress person. I feel most comfortable in shorts or pants and tee, something casual. What drew me to this dress was the details. The slouchy pockets and the drawstring scream casual to me. The ruffles (not pictured) and the watercolor print sealed the deal. It was the perfect marriage of girly and casual. Do you have an ideal dress?

Dress, Martin & Osa

Sweater, Gap Outlet

Shoes, Steve Madden

Chloe being Chloe

I was debating this morning. My internal  monologue went something like:

"Should I?"

"I just did last week.."

"Hmmm.. "

"No, I can't do it again"

"Eh, I do what I want."

Chloe is a monster. Every Sunday when we come home from thr grocery store she jumps in a bag and waits for Dolce or Gabanna to walk by so she can attack him.

Every Sunday.

"Shop It To Me"

A few years ago one of my really good friends, Nancy, who is extremely clever and savvy when it comes to getting the best price (seriously, check out her blog for great ideas on saving money on home decorating), introduced me to "Shop It To Me" and I have been using them ever since.

If you have never heard of "Shop It To Me" let me explain. They are a lovely little company that's main purpose is to bring sale information for your favorite brands from the best retailers right to you're inbox via "salemail".

How do they do that?

It's easy, when you sign up for a "salemail" you choose the brands you want to hear about. You can even choose how often they alert you. I choose once a week, on Thursday mornings so I can always know what sales will be going on for the weekend.

As you can see from above not only can you find the deals on your favorite brands for women, but also men, kids, and the fitness junkie!  

The best part is unlike sites like HauteLook and Gilt and others that give you insane discounts on desinger goods  through "flash sales" that are almost impossible to land for people with a job that can't get on the internet to shop at any give time. "Salemail" gives you deals that you can actually take advantage of.

Even if designer isn't you're thing I definitely recommend you check out "Shop It To Me" because they also have partnerships with retailers like J.Crew, Urban Outfitters, and Victoria's Secret that can alert you when those stores take markdowns.

"Shop It To Me" is still growing and always looking for new users to score deals for. Check out their website here to sign up for "salemail" and let "Shop It To Me" do your price hunting for you. While you are there check out their network of bloggers too. "Shop It To Me" does a great job of supporting the blogging community.

In short, sign-up and save!

Spring Plaid

I can't believe it's Wednesday already. This week has been flying by.

SSBF and I hit the outlets again on Saturday. That's twice in a 5 week period and this time it was SSBF's idea! Needless to say I was stunned when he mentioned it but happy to take him up on his offer.

I snagged this shirt at J.Crew and am completely in love with it. I am a big fan of plaid and usually resort to stealing SSBF's shirts but now I finally have one to call my own. It's so light its almost sheer and will be perfect for wearing around the Outer Banks in August. I saw it the last time we went in early May, but passed because  it wasn't on sale. I'm glad I waited because between the sale they were having and my student discount I saved 40% on it.

The real story though is how much SSBF cleaned up at the Banana Republic outlet. I swear this kid can sniff out a deal. Somehow he managed to score a lightweight Merino sweater, a button-down, and a polo for under $30.

Well, that's all I've got. Unless of course you would like to hear about my cost accounting class. I'll assume not though. Even SSBF doesn't want to hear about that.

Hope you are having a good week!

P.S. Lucky Magazine was kind enough to make me an Alpha Shopper!
Come check out Style Spotter and look for future blog posts!


Shirt, J.Crew
Jeans, Martin & Osa,
Shoes, DSW

Pack or Purchase?

So recently I've been debating back and forth about what I should do about my lunch at work and I was hoping to get some input from you wonderful readers.
Historically I have been a lunch packer. When I was working at Enterprise there was little other option. If I didn't pack my own lunch I would be eating fast food everyday (gross). Typically I would pick out and SSBF would buy something for the week during our normal grocery shopping. My lunches, which were eaten over the course of a 10 hour day, normally consisted of a sandwich or similar, yogurt, 2 pieces of fruit, pretzels, and a granola bar.
However, at Under Armour that have an elaborate cafe with plenty of healthy options on the menu that are loads more appealing then my turkey and cheese with mustard and pickles. The other edge that buying my lunch has is the social aspect. For the most part my counterparts all purchase their lunch and usually go over to the cafe together. Which makes it a great time to get to know people and make some new friends. I am torn. I am opposed to spending more on my lunch, but really, really want to be able to bond with the people I am working with.

Because I am in love with excel I made a break down of the estimated costs to show you guys what I'm working with:  

Packed lunch	Cost/Week	Cost/Day
Turkey	5.50	1.10
Cheese	2.50	0.50
Bread	2.50	0.50
Granola bar	1.50	0.30
Banana	1.00	0.25
Misc fruit	4.48	0.90
Pretzels	1.75	0.25
Yogurt	3.00	0.60
Avg cost for Packed Lunch	22.23	4.40
Under Armour Lunch	Cost/Week	Cost/Day
Salad	15.00	3.00
w/Grilled Chicken	25.00	5.00
Iced Tea	3.95	0.79
Cookie	2.95	0.59
Fruit	4.50	0.90
Yogurt	3.00	0.60
Avg Cost for Under Armour	29.40	5.88
	or
	39.40	7.88

These are rough estimates of course and for the UA lunch plan I still factored a piece of fruit and yogurt because I tend to need a snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Based off of these numbers I would estimate spending about $10-$15 more per week on lunch and $120-$180 over the course of a year. Money that could be well spent on a new pair of shoes or handbag.

A third option would be some kind of combination of the two but this option will mostly likely still result in higher spending, but a less dramatic amount.

What do you guys think?

Should I Pack or Purchase?

Army Green and Flowers

Today was one of those days where I thought these pictures were never going to happen even though I really wanted them too. For the first time ever I actually planned this outfit ahead of time. It's been stewing in my head since Wednesday and somehow I waited two whole days to wear it. Then of course the weather decides not to cooperate. It was hot and the air was thick (with humidity). For the sake of this blog though I wore the jacket anyway. Which to think of it worked out because my office is an icebox.

Then just as SSBF and I were getting ready to take some photos it started to rain and my batteries died! With no replacements in the house SSBF was nice enough to drive me over to the grocery store (aww). I must say SSBF was a stand-up guy tonight and of course I was over critical of his picture taking. Sorry baby!





I love how I look like a deer caught in the headlights in these pictures. As if I didn't know I was going to have my picture taken. Anyway, I've never been a dress kind of girl but lately I have been enjoying the ease of throwing one on in the morning and feeling both less stressed and perfectly appropriate for work. My favorite part is this is the other side of the reversible dress I bought from Target. See how else I styled it here and here.

What do you guys have in store for the weekend? I will be doing some homework, some cleaning, and maybe some tennis? Exciting right?

I hope you don't mind I refer to you all as "guys". I just realized I do it often. I think it's my Philadelphia roots. Everyone up there is a "guy" or "guys".

Have a good weekend!


Jacket, J.Crew
Dress, Target
Sandals, Steve Madden via Piperlime
Jewelry, Various