Home Sweet Home

Honest to god, I hate being cold. During the winter months I am constantly layering and almost always make my jacket look like part of my outfit. I do this so well sometimes I am reluctant to actually take off my coat in fear of making the outfit less awesome. True Story.

Anyway, if you missed my tweet on Saturday, the old and slowly dying computer I alluded to owning in my Friend Friday post finally crapped out on me. Before I even knew I would have to replace it SSF and I drove down to my work to get my work laptop just in case. I couldn't resist taking some photos while we were down there. Maybe not even twenty-five yards away from my building we have this amazing promenade that overlooks the harbor and downtown Baltimore. To the left of where I am standing is where Domino Sugar [you know, Domino, the ones with the bright yellow bags] loads the boats that come into the harbor.

I'm telling you all this because I think it's totally awesome. At least once a week there is a huuuge ship parked outside. My department is located on a bridge between two buildings so you can actually see the ships coming in. As many times as I've seen it since I started in May I still can't help but stare in awe every time. I've never really come out and said it before but I really love living in near Baltimore. Although Philly will always be my first love I've become quite keen on "Charm City" lately despite it's scary high murder rate. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this place, for the first time in 4 years, is starting to feel like home.

Outfit Details:
Coat: Old Navy $40 (in 2006)
Button-Down: J.Crew Outlet $34
Striped Tee: Gap $12
Jeans: Gap $45
Scarf: Old Navy $12
Boots: Rocket Dog via DSW $60 (I'm honestly guessing here)
Total Outfit: $203

FBFF Friday: Technology

[note, you must read the name of this post in the same voice as Justin Timberlake in the 50 cent song, otherwise it's just a boring title]



Anyway, This week has been pretty jammed packed for me. I've spent the last two working days in the women's apparel showroom at my work listening to executives speak (more like ogling the walls covered in all the fall merch). Anyway, this has resulted in a pretty light posting week for me. Hopefully I can get back in to a more normal schedule next week. In the meantime this week the FBFF group is talking about technology and how we use it on our blogs.

1. What technology do you use in blogging? (computer, camera, videocamera, tripod, etc...)
This is an easy one for me, I use a digital camera (Nikon Coolpix L100) and a PC. An older, dying slowly PC, but a PC nonetheless. Technically, I also use my Blackberry Curve to reply to comments throughout the day as well.

2. What computer and online technology do you use? (blogging system,photo storage, photo editing tools, etc..)
Simple is key for me. I use blogger(obviously) and flickr for photo storage. Occasionally I use Picknik inside Flickr for some editing and that's about it.


3. What is your process for taking pictures?
My process for taking pictures usually goes something like this.
Step 1: Ask SSF to take pictures for me (which strangely turns his good mood to bad)
Step 2: Take about 15-20 pictures.
Step 3: Load them on computer, then flickr, then copy and paste into the post.

4. When it comes to backdrops for your photos what do you consider? Doyou scout locations or shoot the same spot daily?
I'm usually not to particular about my backdrops, but generally go for something simple. A lot of times I will have SSF take some pictures while were out and about. If were not going anywhere special often times we will either take them outside the house or at the school across the street from my neighborhood.

5. If you could splurge and get one new piece of equipment what wouldyou be buying?
I would probably upgrade my point and shoot to an DSLR, and pay for classes to learn how to use it. I've become a lot more interested in photography lately and would like to get better.

As always, don't forget to head over to Katy's blog Modly Chic to see how her and others answered these same questions!

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Bloggers & Budgets: Lisa, Archives

As I hinted at last week I am really excited to bring you guys my first Q&A.  I had this idea one morning to have other bloggers answer some questions about how they balance fashion blogging and personal finance. The idea came to me so quickly one morning I literally shot out of bed and fired off an e-mail to my some of my favorite bloggers. I asked each blogger to tell us a little bit about themselves and answer 5 questions about their budgets. Just as much as we all need style inspiration, it doesn't hurt to get a little financial inspiration as well. So without further ado, Lisa from Archives is going to kick off the madness of this Bloggers & Budgets series (it's a working title).




Meet Lisa!

Age: 28
Location: Chicago, IL
I currently work as an executive assistant, but am about to quit and take selling vintage in my Etsy shop full time. My boyfriend and I don't have kids, but we do have a furry friend, Atlas, who is probably the only dependent we'll have! At least for quite a while.

The Questions

1. How would you describe your approach to personal finance:
Mostly hands off....I'm awful at saving or spending responsibly. To give you an idea: the company my employer uses to manage our retirement funds has a retirement "forecast" in pictures (seriously). Mine has a big, rainy sad face with a storm cloud hovering above it. Since I'm about to make a major career change, adjusting to self employment will have to change my approach. I'm hiring an accountant to manage my business and personal finance. I think it's the only way someone like me can be successful!

2. How do you balance your finances with style blogging?

By nature, I'm a bit of a cheapskate. I will never pay full price at say, The Gap. They constantly run sales, it's kind of absurd to pay full price for merchandise that will go on sale in a few weeks. I've spent a lot of money over the years at "fast fashion" stores like H&M, Forever 21, etc. because their items were so affordable. Now, I'm finally learning that quality over quantity is important.

My love of vintage clothing has only furthered that sentiment - vintage items were often made at a higher quality, and thrift stores have no shortage of vintage clothes. So most of my recent spending has been at thrift shops; they pretty much marry everything I'm looking for at the moment: good quality vintage items at a price that doesn't break the bank. I want to inspire other ladies to make similar choices by wearing my finds and ignoring trends on Archives. Style absolutely does not come from a magazine or have to be determined by pricey designers.

3. What do you want to accomplish [financially] in the next five years?

If you asked me a few weeks ago, I would have said to save for a down payment on a house, buy said house and settle down. My boyfriend and I have wanted to buy a bigger place for a while (he owns the condo we live in now), and we decided this would be the year we get serious about saving for a house of our own.
As I started looking at how long that would take me, and how long that meant I'd have to stay at my job (read: forever and then some), it got me thinking about my life like my closet: quality is more important than quantity. I'd rather be happy working for myself than miserable working just for a paycheck. I must be the luckiest gal in the world, because my other half totally agrees and supports my decision, even if that means putting our plans on hold. So....in five years, I really have no idea what my situation will be! Hopefully I'll be a successful small business owner!


4. Do you have any financial regrets?

Definitely. Now that I see how much money I've wasted at fast fashion stores on items worn somewhere between 1-5 times, I definitely regret my reckless spending. If I could go back in time, I wish I had been saving all that money.


5. Share with us your best/favorite tip for saving/spending/paying off debt.

Clearly, I'm not the best person to be giving advice in this department! So, I would recommend setting a monthly spending budget and try to avoid impluse purchases. Easier said than done, but it's worth it in the long run.

Thanks Lisa! If you love Lisa as much as I do don't forget to check out her blog, twitter, and vintage shop!
I hope you guys enjoyed reading about someone else's finances. I've got plenty more where that came from.

The $3 Dress

Yeah, I knew that would get you here.
But if you want to see more head over to Andrea's blog, Blonde Bedhead, and check out my guest post :)

Thank God it's Wednesday!

A Savings To-Do List

It's basically the end of January which means I am slowly creeping up on the day that my credit cards will be paid off (yay!). You would think I'd be ecstatic, instead I have been consumed with confusion. By [at the latest] March I will have an extra $500 per month heading into my bank account, that would have normally gone to my credit card payment. As a slightly impulsive person, ok very impulsive [on Sunday night I was reading a personal finance book that recommended converting a traditional IRA to a Roth, let's just say that's take care of] this terrifies me. I have never really made a saving plan, but I knew that I had too with all the things I have to save for (ie wedding, house projects, annual expenses like car insurance and county taxes, etc)

I couldn't decide where to start, so I'm just going to do all of them, simultaneously. The problem is, I'm terrible at saving. SSF is perfectly ok with dumping all of his money into one general savings account and using it for various things. I on the the other hand am more visual and need to compartmentalize savings. It's almost like a savings to-do list. I spent way too much time this weekend planning what I was going to save for and how much each year, just to turn around and dump it into one account. Which is why I love my ING savings account. ING let's me create sub accounts within my main account that allow me to compartmentalize away. Here is what my account looks like after this weekend:



As you can see, I have aligned my sub accounts after my savings goals. Not only can I see my progress, but I know once I hit the amount I wanted to save for a specific category. For example, my car insurance is $925 per year. Once I hit that, I can start contributing that money to other goals if I choose. It's kind of amazing.

That's how I save. How do you save?

If you are interested in opening an ING savings account and can make a one time deposit of $250 when you open an account, e-mail me and I will send you a referral link that will get you an extra $25 courtesy of ING. [Full disclosure: I get $10 for referral] A good deal all around.

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Bring on AARP and Early Bird Dinners

Shirt: Old Navy $7
Swater: J.Crew Outlet $40
Jeans: Gap $45
Boots: DSW $50
Scarf: American Eagle $6
Total Outfit: $148

I know I'm looking way ahead but I think SSF and I are going to make great senior citizens. Just look at the facts:

-We wake up at like 5 am during the week, and by 7 on the weekends.
-We are known to have early dinners from time to time (probably because of the whole waking up at 5 thing)
-We love going to casino's in the middle of the day.
-We love any excuse to get a discount.

See, senior citizens!

Speaking of casinos that is where we went on Saturday. They finally legalized slots in Maryland a year or so ago so we don't have to drive to West Virginia anymore. I know, I'm a big ball of contradiction. I blog like crazy about saving and playing off debt, and then I go and gamble. Oh well, I like the thrill of winning. I did not win big, I did however leave with more money then I went with so we'll call that a victory.
How was your weekend?

Best Way to Save Money on Clothes

Blazer: Gap $40
T-shirt: Old Navy $5
Jeans: Old Navy $34
Boots: Forever 21 $29
Scarf: J.Crew $10
Total Outfit: $118

There is something about these black wash jeans that screams "wear me with navy and white". Seriously. I basically took the bottom half of this outfit, switched out the shoes, added a v-neck tee, a blazer, a scarf and bam. Same outfit, only different.

I've had these jeans for a couple of years now and just recently re-discovered them. Don't you love when that happens? They have survived so many closet clean outs. I don't know why I kept holding onto them, but I did and it was totally worth it. Did you ever have anything that you didn't wear for awhile, only to become re-enamoured with it and wear it all the time? (I've worn these jeans twice already this week!). It's like the cheapest shopping trip ever, that doesn't involve going anywear.

I loved reading all your comments yesterday. I honestly wasn't expecting so much feedback, I was kind of blown away. So thank you. Oh and on that note all the comments from Monday. I haven't had a chance to visit all the recomennded sites, but I am working on it, and am super-excited about my bedroom reno.

Anyway, just one more thing. Last time I wore this necklace, Jessi asked me where it was from. So Jessi, to answer your question it is from Delicate Raymond. SSF bought it for me about two years ago. I had trouble finding it on the site, but the one I've linked too is the basically the same, the chain is different a little. I am such a sucker of initial jewelry. When I was little I used to hate my name because it was different [this was the 90's people] but now I relish in that same fact [although gaining popularity]. I would wear my name every wear if possible. Instead I settle for just an initial on a pendant, on my necklace. (Coincidentally another item I have recently re-discovered)

Best way to save money on clothes? Shop your closet.

The Real Cost of Debt

Ok, so you caught me being lazy this morning. It's only the first week of class and I am already falling back on an info graphic for my obligatory finance post.  Before you run off and skip to the next blog in your reader, just look over it, just for a minute. Most people think of cost in terms of price but when you are financing a purchase whether it be a home, car, new wardrobe, or an education you have to think in terms of the real cost. The real cost being principle and interest. And trust me there is always interest. It sounds crazy, but I know I could blab on and on and on and not be able to evoke the "oh shit" factor this thing does.  If you are in debt, use this as motivation to get out. If you have no debt, be proud of where you are. And if you are like me, on the brink of paying off a load of credit cards, rejoice that it will soon be over (and come up with a plan to pay off your car asap!)

I don't expect to get a lot of comments today, but leave some thoughts about how this makes you feel. Do you consider the "real cost" of a purchase before you make it? How do you deal with financing? Do you pay only the minimum?



[if you have trouble reading it, click on this image to take you to the original]

Well That's Different

Sweater: Younkers $14 (after gift exchange)
Shirt: Macy's $0
Shorts: Gap $?? (Bought them so long ago I can't remember)
Tights: Gap $12
Shoes: Aldo $62
Total Outfit $88

Maybe you scanned my outfit details or maybe you didn't, but just for the record I did not steal this shirt from Macy's. It actually belonged to SSF not too long ago. He bought it for $10 while Christmas shopping because it reminded him of the Detroit Lions. Then I got my hands on it and accidentally shrunk it. I know what you are thinking, and I swear it really was an accident! Conveniently though it is now perfectly Grace sized.  

This weekend was my last weekend of freedom before school starts again. I have my first class tonight Boo. SSF and I did it up right by heading out to buy some new windshield wipers and a half dozen donuts. Yeah,we totally know how to party.

With that said, I'm going to try and keep up with my normal Monday-Friday posting schedule, but don't be alarmed if I miss a few every now and then during the semester. In other blog related news, I'm excited to share with you a few things. First, if you hadn't noticed I've started using Disqus for comments. I did this in attempt to enhance my communication with you guys. With disqus I can respond to comments right from my blackberry while at work, class, etc. It's the perfect distraction. I'm also working on a series that will feature amazing bloggers regularly here on Money Smart Fashion, while still keeping with the theme of my blog, so stay tuned for more on that!

How was your weekend? Did anyone else have off for MLK day?

Help Me, Please? I'll Be Your Friend.

What better way to celebrate MLK day then to talk home decor? Right? Maybe?
Yeah it's slightly off topic from my usual personal finance and outfit posts but it's been a subject that has been basically consuming SSF and I lately. The trip to Ikea we took yesterday only fed the beast.

Even with everything that's going on around here (i.e. paying off credit cards, saving for a wedding etc) we are still hoping to squeeze in a few, nay fourteen, around the house projects over the next year or two. They run the gamut from replacing the old, painted on hinges (super cheap and easy) to updating the kitchen and bathrooms (aka not so cheap and easy). We're not quite sure what order those things will come in but have pretty much decided that our first project will be to re-do our bedroom. Don't get me wrong, our bedroom is nice, but it's basically been decorated the same way for the last [almost] four years. We need a change.
Changes like...
these walls


these sheets


and this wall art



We are both currently obsessed with gray bedrooms, which made our narrowing down choice of paint relatively easy. The rest is still up in the air. I'd like to change out the linens, put up curtains, and add some wall art all for under $250. But I need some serious help. While I can be a pretty savvy shopper when it comes to clothes I'm not as good when it comes to home decor. What about you? Do you have some great decorating, shopping, savings tips? If so, I'd love to hear them. Share what you've got in the comments below.

FBFF: undressing, dressing

This week the FBFF group steps away from the business of blogging to answer some questions about getting ready in the morning. Are you a planner or do you dress in the moment?

1. How do you determine what you will wear that day?
I like to consider myself an "in the moment" dresser. Most days I stand in front of my closet and make on-the-pot decisions of what I'm going to wear kind of based on how I feel. On rare occasions I will think of an outfit the night before and then put it together in the morning.


2. Do you plan outfits out in advance for a whole week, month, weekend?
Ha. None of the above? I am so bad at planning ahead when it comes to clothes. Until I met SSF, the ultimate planner, I would wait until the morning of a trip to pack.

3. Do you have any specific way of tracking outfits and items already worn so you don't repeat?
Again, not really. I'm not afraid to re-wear an outfit that I love but I try to save those for the day's I don't take pictures for the blog.

4. How do you discover new combinations of items in your closet?
Trial and Error mostly. While most mornings I can put together an outfit on the first try there are others that seem like an endless parade of clothes in and out of my closet. It's usually these mornings that I find combinations of clothes I didn't really think "worked" in the past. Blogs help too. I often see girls wearing items in a way my brain just doesn't work.
5. To streamline the process for 2011 what is one new thing you can do to cut down your dressing time?
Lately I've had trouble falling asleep right away. Those nights that I toss and turn I try to think about what I will wear the next day. It is surprisingly calming and helps me plan in advance. Maybe one day I will plan out my outfits for the whole week. Baby steps.

Don't forget to head over to Katy's blog Modly Chic to see how her and others answered these questions.

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60/40 Split

While casually browsing through my reader the other day I saw a post  from Valerie over at "Beauty and the Budget" called "Save More with this Quick and Easy Budget Tip". Of course I was intrigued. Turns out the "quick and easy" money tip is the 60% method conceptualized by this guy. Basically, the goal of the 60% method is to limit your monthly expenses (i.e. mortgage/rent, utilities, gas, food, etc) to 60% of your income and use the other 40% in various ways to contribute to retirement, long-term, or short-term savings or even pay off debt. It's intent is to help you save more money faster. Theoretically who would be opposed to saving more money (or in my case, paying off credit card debt) faster. No one. The real question becomes  who is living within 60% of their income? Anyone? Bueller?

Exactly.

I took a minute to add up our monthly expenses (including the obscure ones we don't actually pay monthly like car insurance,  the water bill, and county city taxes) and found that 76% of our income each month was going towards "fixed" expenses not including my credit card payments, clothing, or Chick-fil-a  dinner out. ("Fun" expenses are meant to come out of the 40%, not the 60%). SSF and I do not exactly live a lavish lifestyle, but if 60% is considered ideal, then we are clearly living outside of our means.

So what now? Is 60% possible? I'm sure it is, but it will take some work, and most likely extra income (or an increase is salary) to achieve. I would imagine paying off both of our cars would be involved in the process.

Do you think that the 60% methood is a viable tool? What % of your income are your monthly expenses?

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Saturday

OMG it was windy on Saturday. How windy was it? This windy..

Sexy right? It was cold too, which you can proably read all over my face. I would never make it on America's Next Top Model for that very reason, that and I'm not 5'10" or a minor. Alas, I'm moving forward with this outfit post anyway.

Sweater: Von Maur (gift from best friend)
Flannel: Old Navy (borrowed from SSF)
Top: Gap $15
Jeans: Gap $45 (sale)
Boots: Coach $190 (purchased with giftcard $0 out-of-pocket)
Belt: Gap Outlet $10
Total Outfit: $70

Are you surprised I am wearing one of SSF shirts? You shouldn't be, I've been living in his closet. He found me in there the other day cuddling with his flannels. That's beside's the point though. The true purpose to this post it to tell you that this sweater didn't actually come with that fur collar. Shocking, I know. I got all pseudo crafty up in here. Inspired by Christine, I borrowed the (faux) fur collar from a vest and temporarily stitched it on to this sweater. I think the vest might not get it's fur back. But what do you think?

I'm also obsessed with long sweaters right now. I left for Michigan with zero and came back with two, and both of them were gifts (read: free). This one I love because it is cable knit and crazy warm. I've been wearing it as a coat to work and such. I love it.

There was one more thing I wanted to add... Hey Gap, wtf is up with my saggy jean legging knees? Disappointing. I haven't had them that long.

end scene.

Heartbreaker, Dream Maker

I was feeling pretty darn good about the whole "I'm not going to shop until my last credit card is paid off" thing. That is until the first J.Crew catalog of the new year showed up on my dining room table. I could have saved myself from torture by simply throwing it away, but what fun is that?

Instead, I went through it with my purple sharpie and made notes of all the things I loved.








I thought I had destroyed any hopes I had of making it until March without shopping. I even went into a J.Crew store this weekend but left with no new purchases, no regret, and tons of inspiration for Spring. Now, if only March could get here. Like now.


Have you started thinking about your spring style yet?

FBFF: Blog Envy

Jealous? Sometimes maybe.


Hair Envy


Closet Envy

This week the FBFF is answering questions about blog envy. Do you have it? Did you ever have it? How do you deal? What are you doing to make yourself great? Should I stop asking rhetorical questions and get on with it already?

1. Have you ever looked at someones blog and thought yours will never measure up? OMG Yes. Yes. Yes. and Yes. I think it is only natural to compare yourself to others. And now it's even easier to do so. What really determines your own success is what you do after the comparison. I could simply accept that my blog may not measure up, or I could do something about it. Figure out what I would like to do differently and make a plan.


2. Do you (did you) feel pressure to meet some kind of undefined standard for fashion bloggers? I wouldn't say I felt pressure to meet a standard but for awhile, basically the last two months of 2010, I was really questioning whether my own style was "blog-worthy". I think that's why I started doing less outfit posts. I saw what other bloggers were wearing, and how successful they were, and questioning my own style. I was attempting to wear clothes or combinations that just didn't feel right, which translated to my outfit posts, which then led to frustration. I took my break from blogging over Christmas for this reason (coupled with spending time with family) to reevaluate, and figure out what my style was. I felt like I really made some breakthroughs after a week of dressing for myself and no one else. My break led to a closet purge and positive outlook for 2011. I am only me. I will dress how I want to dress and if you don't like it, oh well.

3. Many established fashion bloggers are also extraordinary DIYers, bakers, and crafty people. Do you think you need to combine all of these things to be successful at blogging? I don't think that you need to combine all of those things to be successful. However I think it's important for a blog to have multiple facets. Readers want to know more then just what a person wore that day and showing off other talents in addition to impeccable taste keeps people coming back.

4. The most successful blogs are the ones that have their own personal voice - how are you developing your voice or how did you find yours? I think I am discovering my voice everyday. My blog started because after undergoing my own financial education I wanted people to know what I went through and how I'm getting myself out of it. I try to stay true to my roots of balancing finance posts with fashion. Oddly enough I've discovered more about myself after a week of non-blogging then I did in a whole year of it. Like I said in question 2, I have a much more positive outlook, so expect to see more of Grace in 2011.


5. Toot your own horn... what's one thing you do that is unique to you and your blog? What gives your blog an edge? I go where no other style bloggers have gone before: Personal Finance. It's all my talk of emergency funds, budgets, and savings accounts that keeping people coming back for more. I mean who doesn't want to read about that? Seriously though, money and style go hand in hand. While people are out there talking about how to spend "less money" I'm talking about what you should do with the money you saved by not spending at all.

Don't forget to head over to Modly Chic to see how Katy and others in the FBFF group answered these questions.

You're Getting A Raise

 here

Well, actually we all are in the form of a 2% Social Security tax cut. It Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside about the future of Social Security doesn't it? Hopefully, you aren't expecting to live off Social Security anyway and have already started contributing to your own 401K 403B, Roth IRA, or whatever kind of retirement account you have.

2% isn't exactly life-changing, but depending on your current salary, it could add up to a nice chunk of change over the course of the year. For me, 2% over 26 paychecks works out to $780 this year in tax savings. The government wants me (and you) to go out and stimulate the economy with our 2% pseudo raise, but the jokes on them, I will be stashing mine into the wedding fund for future use. Besides, don't they know I gave up shopping until March.

What will you do with your 2%? Pad your savings? Eat at Chick-fil-a every Friday? Hoard all your money until the end of the year and buy a $700 bottle of wine like this guy? Something even better? Do tell.

(note: Ashe made a great point in the comments, the raise is only temporary for the 2011 tax year, so get your saving on now while you can. If you want to save it, try setting up an automatic transfer on pay day, so you don't get a chance to spend it!

Another good point from Kendra, if you don't pay SS tax, then you don't get a "raise". Can you tell it's slow at work?)

Sunday, Rainy Sunday

Shirt: H&M $25
Sweater: Younkers $14 [after merchandise credit]
Jacket: Express $24
Pants: C/O Lands End Canvas
Shoes: Forever 21 $24
Scarf: Target $12
Total Outfit: $99


SSF's birthday was on Sunday and all he wanted was for it to rain, so I made it rain. Best girlfriend fiancée ever. Alright, so maybe I didn't make it rain and maybe that wasn't all SSF wanted but I did take him out for a birthday brunch at our favorite little dining spot. Then as part of his birthday present I held a gun to his head and made him take outfit pictures for me. heh heh heh just kidding....

During my week off from blogging I cleaned out my closet. Look at how much of it was totally useless.



This was my second outfit after my full-on closet purge and it felt good. Not only was it easier to find the stuff I like without all the other crap getting in the way, I didn't put on any of the other said crap that doesn't make me feel good about myself. It was a win-win. A clean closet makes it much easier to reach in a grab something out without thinking. I like not thinking. I also like my hair right now. Thank you hair for being awesome, keep up the good work.

Breaking News: Nancy Rocks

I'm interrupting my previously scheduled post to show you the amazing engagement gift I received in the mail yesterday from one of my best friends who lives in Colorado. But first, I don't talk about my friends a lot here. It's hard because honestly all of my closest friends from high school or college all live in different states. Some are in Michigan, others in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Colorado. Basically it sucks. But the awesome thing about all my friends, no matter the distance is that I know I can always count on them and I hope they know, they can count on me.

Now back to the gift, the night before SSF proposed we were in Philly visiting with my friends Nancy, Ellen, and Anne and her fiance Bobby. We drank, ate, and looked at old high school pictures into the early morning hours. It was great. One of the best weekends I'd had in a long time. [Little did I know it was about to get 1000 times better]. Anyway, less than a week later I had posted some "first thoughts" regarding my future wedding with this being one of the pictures...



Last night I received this in the mail from Nancy,

with flowers and a Chick-fil-a gift card to boot. [Have I mentioned we like Chick-fil-a?]. I was totally floored. It was so sweet and totally unexpected.

Long story short, Nancy you are the best. I love you (wo)man.

Binge

shirt-gap $12
jeans-old navy $34
shoes-aldo $62
necklace- juicy couture (gift)
total outfit: $108

Hello outfit post my old friend.
I realize these have been few and far between, but as you can see I'm just the same ol' G[race]. Straight leg jeans, loose fit top and gray booties. What? Where you expecting something different?

I've been really grateful for my loose fit tees this holiday season. They have done a spectacular job of disguising my holiday bloat. Not a big deal, just a few extra pounds as a result of meals out with family and friends, a seemingly endless supply of Christmas goodies, and more alcohol then I normally consume (I'm looking at you clear margaritas from the place I can't remember the name of).

Now that the holidays are officially over it's back to the gym, that thing called work, and 3 square meals a day.

Oh, and btw, thanks to those of you joining/supporting me in my misery shopping ban. The next 3 months will be rough, but totally worth it!