Why Not?

Why not end a week that started with a 6 figure confession with a list of things I am completely obsessing over? That's just who I am. Lucky for me, just looking doesn't cost money.
DIY

Source: adventuresindressmaking.com via Annie on Pinterest

My next project.. turn our old gross blinds into beautiful roman shades with this super easy diy. Anyone know where to get good fabric?

Home-State Pride

Source: mayabrenner.com via Grace on Pinterest

I saw this necklace from Maya Brenner over on Pretty Shiny Sparkly and was a woman obsessed with state "pride" necklaces. Another affordable version is available (without the diamond) but made from recycled materials at Kris Nations Jewels (Ahem, SSF, family.. my birthday is quickly approaching...)


White Jeans

Source: cutypaste.com via Grace on Pinterest

I am a laggard and a skeptic on white pants, but they appear to be what my closet is missing. Now if only I could trade in one of my million other pairs of jeans for white ones.

Leather Riding Boots

Source: None via Grace on Pinterest

Yes I know it's the middle of summer. Let's just saying I'm looking ahead (for once).

Maps

Source: everythingfab.com via Grace on Pinterest

There will be maps in the wedding. Believe you me.

Haircuts

Source: reese-pics.com via Grace on Pinterest

No seriously. It's been too long since I've actually had my haircut that I dream about it!

Wedding Pictures

Source: stylemepretty.com via Grace on Pinterest

Anyone else take style me pretty breaks at work? Yes?

I use Pinterest for sucking hours out of my day,  join me?

Clutch: In Action

jacket: express, top: old navy, jeans: gap; shoes: dsw; bag: i made it!

First of all, welcome! to any of you that have clicked through to my blog from my guest post on Angies blog! I'm excited to have you. (If you just happen to be one of my readers.. go check out my guest post!)

Secondly, Thank you readers for all the nice and amazingly supportive comments on Monday's post. They really mean a lot to me. I mean if if there was a time I felt most capable of tackling my student loans, it was right after reading all of your comments. Thank you. Seriously.

Finally, I'm not really sure how I feel about those shoes. I was totally into them in the moment. Yes Yellow shoes! But now looking at the pictures I'm just kinda eh. What do you think? Too much? Just right?

I Have 6 Figure Student Loan Debt

I have some explaining to do.

As you may know I started this blog quite some time ago when I first started paying off my credit cards. It was meant to be a creative outlet to help me find myself, without credit card debt but it's turned into so much more than that. Most days I still can't believe what I've accomplished through this blog. (hello, Lucky Magazine? Goodbye credit card debt?). But this weekend I had a reckoning, if you will, of how much farther I still have to go. I'm halfway home on my car note but my student loan debt is the big pink elephant in the room (and boy is it big). Six figure BIG. This weekend was the first time in almost 3 years that I actually totalled up the amount due between my federal and private loans. It's something I should have done a long time ago but frankly, it wasn't something I was ready to deal with yet.



SSF just about lost it, in his very special way, when I told him what the number was. I don't blame him though. It's not exactly an easy pill to swallow. You have to understand though it wasn't something I was hiding from just him, it was something I was hiding from all together. Telling SSF and now all of you is probably one of the hardest things I've done. I'm so embarrassed about the situation I created for myself. Despite my intelligence I was naive going into college. I thought I would walk out easily making $50-60,000 (seriously) and here I am making a little above $40,000. It's been a blow so my ego and self worth. Even worse, I've set SSF up to a future of paying back my student loans for a long time. So no I don't blame him for being upset with me. I consider myself lucky that he still wants to marry me.

This weekend changed me though. It changed my whole perspective on life. It's motivated me to take on the challenge of my paying off my student loans in record time. It's got me thinking outside the box of buying new things. I'm ready to learn how to sew. I'm ready to find new uses for old things. More than anything, I'm ready to be out of debt. Forever.


My dirty little secret of my student loan debt is now out. I can't hide from it anymore, and you know it feels kind of good, liberating.

Now, I will ask you the same question I asked SSF yesterday... Do you still love me?

I Did This: DIY Zip Top Clutch

Source: morganlynstyle.com via Grace on Pinterest

I've been totally obsessed with Celine clutches. I've been seeing them and their budget friendlier kin everywhere. I want. I need.

I didn't know how much I wanted one though until I found this easy DIY on Just B.
For $20, I created my own version with just a bag, arcylic paint, painters tape, and some sealer.




*budget friendly hint: scour ebay for discounted American Apparel clutches (the best substitute to the original Celine I could find

Welcome Back

shirt&belt: j.crew; shorts: from old gap jeans; vest: kohls, shoes: aldo

I've been missing heels in my life lately. My workplace is so casual that there is just so incentive to wear them. ever. It's actually kind of shameful how often I default to flip flops considering I fancy my self a "style blogger" at times. This weekend I took it upon myself to re-introduce some height into my life. best decision ever. I forgot how much I love these shoes. They make my legs look great in all the right placed and don't make me feel over-dressed.

One thing I do not love.. bug bites. I've got 5 of them clustered around my ankle as a result of partaking in yard work this weekend. There is not enough benadryl in the world to calm my itching.

How was your weekend? I started class yesterday, so my weekend was like the end of my summer vacation. It was depressing. But on a the bright side, I think I will get back to a regular schedule of posting now that two nights of my week are consumed my class.

Coupon Sunday: The Art of the Stack

Source: wow-coupons.com via Barbara on Pinterest

Time out: is that worst graphic ever? Or is it just me?

Time in: Have you heard of the term "stacking" before? In couponing, it basically refers to the ability to use multiple coupons for one product (normally you can use just one coupon per item). Stores like Target, and most recently some grocery chains, offer their own set of coupons valid at only their stores. These "insert store here" only coupons can then be combined with a manufacturers coupon (valid at multiple stores) to increase, if not double your savings.

Pretty cool huh?

I didn't even know about stacking until I started couponing, but have since gotten some pretty good deals as a result. In my (limited) experience I've found that Target and my local Harris Teeters are the best places to land great deal via stacking. For example, I got a pack of  Olay Regenerist Cleaning Cloths for $0.99 (retail price $6.99) after stacking a $3.00 off 1 manufacturer's coupon and a $3.00 off 1 Harris Teeter "e-vic" coupon. In a separate trip to Target I was able to stack a target coupon for Energizer Lithium batteries with a manufacturer's coupon to save $4.00 off the sale price of $7.99. For all you ladies out there with battery sucking digital cameras you know that's a great deal.

Want to stack, but don't know where to start?

For stacking options at Target I would check out blogs like Totally Target or The Krazy Coupon Lady provide detailed posts of this weeks sales and corresponding coupons.

Grocery stores are a little different but once you confirm that they offer some kind of store coupon and that it can be stacked, the easiest way to reap the benefits is to keep an eye on the weekly specials and a list of the coupons available. That way it is easier to spot an stacking opportunities.

Have you stacked coupons before? Good ahead and brag, what was your best get with a stack?

Oh Hey, I Blog Sometimes

top: target; dress (worn as skirt): modcloth; sandals: j.crew; jacket: gap outlet

I'm just going to go right into this--I've been in kind of a funk the last couple weeks with my clothes. You know, that mid-summer boredom that comes along with 90+ degree days and the constant feeling of sticky. It kind of puts a damper on the whole getting dressed thing. In addition or maybe consequently, I've just been feeling a little ho-hum about my closet. I've been just letting myself fall back on my favorite items-- which isn't a bad thing, necessarily, it just doesn't make for good blogging.

But I'm back baby, and I brought my favorite dress from last summer. Except this time it's a skirt because I accidentially put it in the dryer and gave it the SSF treatment... (I shrunk it). It was already scandalouly short, and now it's "too close to knowing exactly what underwear I have on" short. (sidenote: I'm scared to know who will find my blog by searching "what underwear I have on")

It always rejuvantes me when I can find a new way to wear something I had almost given up hope on.
It sounds silly, but it's just another reminder that shopping does not need to rule me.

What gets you out of a clothing rut?

Coupon Sunday: Avoiding the Trap with Unit Prices

Source: shirt.woot.com via Missy on Pinterest

There are a lot of people out there that are skeptical about coupons, my brother-in-law being one of them (hi Ron!). Ron believes that coupons just entice you to spend more money by purchasing something just because you have a coupon. Which is absolutely, 100% true. You see, marketers are smart people, and in essence coupons are marketing. Companies are giving you a discount on their product which in turn puts their product in the forefront of your mind while you are shopping. You see the product and recall the coupon. Maybe you don't buy the product that day, but I'm sure you will again recall it when you need it.  I'm no psycologist but they are using our brains against us.

So how do good couponers avoid falling into that trap? They use a little something called unit price. Thinking it terms of unit prices doesn't come naturally to some, or maybe most, but its the best way to figure out if you are getting a good deal. For example, SSF and I use unit prices most often when considering the purchase of items like paper towels and toilet paper. But it can be applied to almost anything.

Last week when my sister and I went grocery shopping together one of the items on her list were some cookies for the kids. She had a coupon for $1 off the purchase of 2 Pepperidge Farm cookies, which happen to be on sale for $2 each. However, the store brand cookies were also on sale for $1.43 each. Even after the coupon, the store brand cookies would be cheaper by $.07.

But wait there's more....

For fun, and because I love calculators, we broke it down to the cost per cookie. The store brand had a total of 39 cookies per package making the price per unit around $.04 The Pepperidge Farm package had about 16 cookies, bringing the cost per cookie to $.09.

Clearly, the store brand cookies were a better deal. That is unit price, granted it's not the most thrilling example of it, but imagine the savings you could reap just by considering the unit price on your purchases.

Do you consider unit price when grocery shopping? Do you buy stuff just because you have a coupon for it?

I Owe You A Winner

tank: urban, years ago; skirt: thrifted, jewelry: c/o jewelmint; sandals: old navy

But first, how was your weekend?

SSF and I took a trip up to my sisters house in Pennsylvania so I could impart some of my coupon knowledge on her. She is responsible for feeding three kids and a husband, which I gather is not an easy or cheap task so I went with her on an normal grocery trip and just kind of helped her through the process. It was some good sister bonding time. Hopefully soon I can barter some sewing lessons and machine time from her so I can hem all the skirts that I've been faking it on.

On another note, I have way to much fun couponing. It brings me such joy to finally have a gift I can share with others. If anyone wants to learn how to coupon I am totally here to help. Or if you want me to just do your shopping for, I can do that too. I love shopping....

Anyway... that's enough small talk, the winner (chosen by the random number generator @ random.org and counting from oldest comments to newest) of the JewelMint giftcard code is: Lisa! Lisa, I will e-mail you shortly. Thank you to everyone who entered!

PS. That's my America bag.

* this post does contain a referral link to JeweMint. Clicking on this link and signing up for JewelMint through this link may result in a credit to my account. I just wanted you to know.

I'm Still Alive

Source: woodnstitches.blogspot.com via Megan on Pinterest

I just wanted you to know.

It's been quiet around here. I haven't had much time to blog this week because I've been spending most of it with SSF (aw). You see he is off from school for a couple weeks so when I get home from work I have to run him around and tire him out so he goes to bed at a reasonable hour (like a puppy).

...seriously.

I wanted to pop in though and remind everyone to have a happy and safe 4th of July. I will be back next week with the winner of the giveaway, and lots more.

Happy Birthday America.