Coupon Me. Seriously.

It has been a few months since I became a budget-watching mama and it has been an eye-opener! Outside of our mortgage we spent more money on food than I ever imagined.  We apparently are some very hungry people.  Between the grocery shopping and take-out we were spending a ridiculous amount on calories.  The very same calories I run to burn off!  So, I decided to welcome coupons into our lives. Who am I?  If someone had told me a two years ago that I would be excited to cut coupons, I would have told them that they were insane! But I must say, there is some  thrill to the hunt of the discount.  And we could really use the money we are saving,

The web is an amazing place to learn about nearly anything and couponing is no exception.  Two sites were instrumental in helping me to learn how to "coupon".  MoneySavingMom and KrazyCouponLady.
I know you are thinking, I only eat fresh, there are no coupons for anything that I need.  I don't eat processed.  You know why I know what you are thinking?  Because that is EXACTLY WHAT I THOUGHT!
But on Friday I bought 9 lbs of 93/7 Jennie O ground turkey for $5.  Yup, $5. And today, when I did our weekly grocery run, I saved $76.80.
And on Monday I am hitting CVS with some amazing deals.  Diapers for $3.99?  Yes please!!!! $10 gas coupon for spending $30 on things I actually need that I have coupons for, and I have $10 in the fabulous extracare bucks.  Stayed tuned for the results.

Have you had luck with couponing?

*Do you get the Sunday paper?  Do you coupon? Can you spare your Sunday inserts?  I am happy to pick them up!

Highlighted on one of my favorite blogs!

Oh Happy Day! Thank you to That Pink Girl.  I pink sparkle heart you too!
Check it out!
www.iamthatpinkgirl.blogspot.com

Closet Shopping

Sometimes you forget what wardrobe options you have. A piece will fall to the back of the closet or its hanger will get hooked into another.  Such was the fate for the dress I wore today.  This 7 year old dress from TJMAXX rose like a phoenix from the depths of my dark shoe-filled closet. 

It was everything I was looking for in today's attire and then some.  The light green is such a happy color and I couldn't help but pair it with a super-versatile Banana Republic plum cropped cardi and my cherry red Toms wedges.  You know Tom's donates a pair of shoes to a needy kid for every pair you buy, I wonder if there is a needy kid wobbling around in a pair of wedge heels somewhere in mid continent Africa. 

The bangle on my wrist in this pic is my current obsession and I know I have discussed it here before, but it is the serpent bangle from Stella & Dot and I love it.

It is reminiscent of a bracelet my mother used to wear when I was a child. A new piece that somehow carries a sentimental value for me. Gotta love the new Fall Collection! 

The Downfall of the Trendthrift Part 2!

The whole ensemble

The Stripey Tunic, the Marrakesh and the Bardot Bracelet

The Bardot Bracelet received two compliments today.

Check out the details of my obsession! Handwoven on a silk backing with a ribbon tie.

At first I totally poo- pooed the ribbon tie.  Thought it was too much. But then I tried it on...as I said in the first post. I fell in love with it.  Yep, this bad boy got 7 compliments from people who stopped me on the street. Six separate ladies in Eatzi's and then another on the way out the door. An attention-getter!

A good outfit makes for a good day!

I got the blues

 I have got the blues!  So today was a day to sport them.  My mom bought this wonderful mini-cardigan for me in Atlantic Beach at a tiny little shop that we go to every time we go there, but of course as I type this the name of the shop eludes me. Seashells maybe, oh well.

 The pants I bought in Baton Rouge from Banana Republic in 2005.  Yup, they are white pants that I have owned for 6 years.  Pretty amazing considering what a klutz I am.

The tank is from Anthropologie, not thrifty I know, but it was on sale for $29.99 and I had to have it as it covered my post baby tummy very well. But of course now when I look at the pictures here I think it may actually make me look like I have a bun in the oven, Thoughts?  It doesn't help that my arm is placed in a way so that the bracelet I am wearing might also make the shot but here is the close up of it:

Happy Wednesday, it is good to be back on the blog bandwagon!

The Downfall of the Trendthrift

Ah, how good the intentions were when the challenge began and oh how quickly I crumbled.  But I couldn't help myself...the Boden clearance catalog was calling to me....MV...MV....open me. And I did and then I fell in love. 

If you know me at all, you know that I am a sucker for a stripe.  And my most favorite color is navy and when paired with grey (my old eventing colors) I cannot resist.  If I were a dress, this is the dress I would be.  This Stripey Tunic in Navy from Boden is my article of clothing soul mate.  So I bought it and have been totally ashamed to post under the guise of continuing the Trendthrift blog series. Hence the long blog vacation.  But to be perfectly honest I don't care.  I love this dress, it had to be mine.  Does it help that it was on sale?
So yes, I adore Stella & Dot, and as a stylist I have many fabulous samples, but there is one piece that I covet, not for my business, but for myself. So you are asking, Hey MV
why didn't you get this one as one of your samples? To be perfectly honest, I did not care for it from the image in the catalog, or online or even laying in the case. It wasn't until I put it on a guest at a trunk, I'll call her Ranger Girl, that I knew it had to be mine. 
And tomorrow it will, thanks to a friend selling some samples at amazing prices. 
Here is a sneak peek at the Marrakesh Bib Necklace:

Love it!  Wait until you see it on....
But quick question, can I continue to consider myself the Trendthrift?

The Trendthrift Episode 6- A Medley of looks (okay, 2) from the last three weeks

This Trendthrift thing is hard! I don't have very much and it takes a good chunk of time to shop a thrift store. Ebay may be the best route for me, but I admit, it is not always perfect. Bought a skirt for $1.69 and it looked terrible on me! TERRIBLE! Just not made for my body-type. Nothing personal.

This is what I wore to work yesterday...






The Rundown:
Top- Banana Republic- Ebay
Skirt-Steinmart
Shoes- TJ Maxx
Necklace- Stella & Dot- Cascading Chain Necklace- free shipping on this piece through June 9th....please contact me for more info.




The Rundown
Cardigan- Saint Grace- UAL
T-shirt- Unknown
Shoes- Frye- Rue La La
Necklace- Stella & Dot- Toujours Necklace

Shameless Promotion 1: Nine for Nine for None!

It is time to celebrate the beginning of the hot days of summer!
I am kicking June off with a Stella & Dot promotion for those wanting to look fabulous while sipping boat drinks from a patio!



Checkout the pieces everyone thinks are fabulous!
And if you order directly through me by June 9, receive free shipping!*
Sloane Bangle
Signature Clover Necklace
Bardot Hoops- Gold
The Revival Tassel Necklace- every single one of my hostesses have ordered this necklace!
Riviera Coin Necklace Mixed
Cascading Chain Necklace
Bardot Silver Bangle
Together Forever Necklace
Awakening Charm Necklace

For those interested in a little Summer Fun, book a trunk show with me for the beginning of June and receive free shipping on your hostess rewards! The average hostess receives $250 in free jewelry.

*The order must be placed directly through me. Please contact me by phone or email to order.

The Trendthrift Episode 5...

Can you believe that it is mid-May? Where does the time go?
These $1 Khakis are getting a lot of wear. The beauty of this must-have wardrobe staple is that it can be worn in many different ways. But I wear them in one way...with a cardigan.
This is the first pair of khakis I have worn in a long time. Khakis have neverreally fit me very well and I have tried them all, J.Crew, Banana Republic, Gap, but most were snug through the thigh region. I feel confident when I wear these, the cut is forgiving, and the crop hits just right on my leg.


My favorite high maintenance accessory:

The RunDown:
Cardigan- Banana Republic
Top- Calvin Klein via Off Saks
Pants- Express, Drew Fit via the Plaid Door
Sandals- Frye
Necklace- Revival Tassel Necklace, Stella & Dot

The Trendthrift Episode 4!

I am a bit delayed in posting this outfit as it is what I wore on Wednesday. This was the first all thrift/ consignment/ liquidation outfit. And I loved it. Super comfortable, super casual chic.

$1 Pants!
$1.08 after tax.
They are Express pants in the Drew fit and I bought them for less than the Pellegrino I drank at lunch the other day.
These were a find at the Plaid Door in Dallas behind St. Lukes Episcopal Church at Preston/ Royal. Sorry Andrea that I popped in without you! We'll go together I promise.

The top is Banana Republic and it came from Revente Resale next to Run On! Dallas on Mockingbird. This is a great consignment store and is definitely worth a pop in! There were some Marchesa gowns with the tags still on them in the store! Crazy.

The cardigan (my favorite article of clothing) was a $6 grab from my favorite store of all time, UAL, in C-town.

The necklace is made up of three pieces from Stella & Dot's La Coco Collection.

As you can see I am still working on my tripod and self portrait abilities....



The Rundown
Cardigan- Saint Grace- UAL
Blouse- Banana Republic- Revente Resale
Pants- Express- The Plaid Door
Shoes- old Steve Madden
Necklace- Stella & Dot

It was supposed to be Trendthrift Episode 4

But then a baby happened during the morning routine.
This baby to be exact. We will not speak of what happened to the button down shirt that was part of the original outfit concept.


Dear Readers, nothing below has been thrifted, swapped, gifted or anything else budget-relieving. This is all store bought and maybe even at full retail.
Don't care.
Love this skirt and need to give a shout out to the Boston Fashionista on the inspiration to pull out the leopard-print for everyday work attire.


Thank you That Pink Girl for the fabulous TriPod! Notice the slight difference in location in the backyard. Yeah slight variety!





The Line-up:
Cardigan- BCBG- 3 years ago
Silk Blouse- Banana Republic- 4 years ago
Skirt- Trashy Diva
Shoes- Sofft- Marshalls

The Trendthrift Episode 3

It is getting ridiculously warm in Dallas. And stormy.
The little boudin and I went to C-town for the holiday to visit Mom and we had a blast! Saw some lifelong friends, ate many a pound of crawfish and grabbed some great new clothes!

Thank you mom and by proxy Janet for this fabulous skirt. It is silky and pleated and totally fit even though I thought for sure that it wouldn't. Ah, these shallow diatribes within as one anticipates the possibility of a failed attempt at closure.
There is one flaw in this skirt which I learned too late to do anything about; when in the right light (or any light for that matter) it is totally sheer. Slip, please!
Regardless, I propelled through the day confident and at ease and relatively successful in keeping my lower half in the shadows.


In the spirit of the playoffs, (GO HORNETS!) Here is my obligatory fashion jump shot!


My Nana gave me this belt and I adore it. Anyone who know me at all knows of my equestrian dreams of youth. This belt is totally me.


Shirt- Steve Alan- UAL
Belt- Unknown-Nana
Skirt- Unknown- Mom- Janet
Shoes- Frye- Gilt Groupe

The Trendthrift: Outfit of the future

Today was the big day! Went to the Garland Road Thrift Store and came home with a great skirt. But it is a skirt that you will not see me wear for quite some time. You see, it is a wool skirt and while it is light weight, we in Dallas are already hitting the upper 80s, which means that the 90s are right around the corner. No wool skirts anytime soon. I do miss having a Spring that lasts for more than a moment.
But I so wanted to play with this skirt! So I did.
And now presenting...

My outfit of the future:

Striped boat neck shirt, plaid skirt, leopard print wedges and dangly earrings.



Here are my initial thoughts on thrift store shopping...organization is key.
Wear something you can quickly take on and off or something you can try clothes on over.
Be prepared to hunt.
Check out the evening wear! I found some sequin tops from the 90s that I may have to return to purchase...They would certainly liven up some jeans!

These points will likely be refined as I continue in my quest to be The Trendthrift!

The Trendthrift Episode 2

Episode 2!

Today was a beautiful spring day and it was great to be outside. With all the flowers and trees blooming I was inspired by color!
Standing in the morning sun was a great way to start the day.

These shoes are hands down my most comfortable ballet flats. And they are adorable. Got them for a steal from an online sample sale. Black with patent toes and gold ribbon across the top.

My palette was an experimental one today.
A coral shirt, a rosy-purple belt and a stark black and white floral skirt. The black and white skirt was gifted to me by my Nana. It was gifted to her from a friend. I consider the second gifting to count as thrifting.

The Rundown
T-shirt- Matty M
Belt- TJ Maxx
Skirt- Nana
Shoes- French Sole
Necklace-
Bracelet- Stella & Dot

The Trendthrift Episode 1

Well, here it begins, my year of thrift store clothing shopping. Obviously the thrift store clothing collection will have to be built over time, so bear with me in these early days of the experiment.
Today I went somewhat cute but comfortable. I wore my favorite jeans, with a comfy and (as you will soon learn) signature cardigan and a fun silky shirt beneath.
Z and I had a conversation about pictures this morning and I think that I may need a tripod. Anyone have one they care to donate to the Trendthrift cause? If so, let me know!

But, guess who took the picture above? Yep, this girl right here. The tripod that made this possible is a brick, an air conditioning unit and a certain blogger who actually thought she was in the center of the frame. Really glad I wasn't. Wish I had captured my shoes though. I actually wore cute little pumps today, a pair I had stopped wearing because I was stuck hiking around in them at Opryland for four days when American Airlines grounded the MD80s. That was not a fun experience by any means.

I digress.



So today's thrifty piece of the outfit was a silk Banana Republic blouse from Ebay and was a whopping $7. Bought a few other things from the same vendor so I could combine shipping.

The Rundown:
Cardigan: Ann Taylor
Shirt: Ebay- Banana Republic
Pants- Hudson Skinny Jeans
Necklace- Stella & Dot
Earrings- Stella & Dot
Bracelet- Unknown

What I learned

1. Through the 25 days of Bad Day, Good Look: how accessories got me to gala, I learned something...blogging is fun! And clothes and jewelry are super-fun! Nothing serious fully frivolous. Plus, I like picking out my clothes the night before, but what I need to learn to do is try them on too.
So here begins my latest self-challenge: shop only at thrift stores for the next year for all of my clothes excluding shoes, bras, panties and other articles of clothing that give me the icks to think that someone else had this on before me. Yes, I know that risk is taken when trying on clothes.....I digress, as I was saying, the challenge is to shop only at discount retail clothing places like thrift stores, eBay and church garage sales and still attempt to pull off a fabulous look everyday. I will attempt to become the TRENDTHRIFT!
So beginning tomorrow with some pieces I bought off of eBay I will begin my journey into becoming THE TRENDTHRIFT!

Day 25: Bad Day, Good Look: How accessories got me to gala

****UPDATED****
The full ensemble.




Wow, this is the last installment of Bad Day, Good Look! So many things to say. Gala is over. It was a beautiful night and it was a lot of fun.
This picture was taken after the event ended when I was home. Boy, were my feet happy to be done for the night! The Tahari mile high sandals I had on were great for 2-3 hours, but after that, ouch! You will see the whole ensemble once I get the pictures back from the evening's photographer. That may be a follow up post...or I may add it to this one, we'll see.
But I digress because I should really discuss THE NECKLACE.
The Bamboleo Necklace was the center of attention last night. What a piece! I am not sure a woman walked by me without commenting on how spectacular it looks.
The night was a triumph and I am ready to sleep for days!

Day 24: Bad Day, Good Look: how accessories got me to gala

The Petra Braided Bracelet came out to play today and glammed up an otherwise mundane plaid shirt and jeans combo. I do love this plaid shirt though...Steven Alan...should have bought a few more of these shirts.
When I was first drawn to Stella & Dot it was the larger pieces that initially caught my eye, but I am just over the moon about the delicate pieces. The On the Mark Necklace immediately became a feminine necklace that I wanted to wear everyday. It is such a subtle and elegant piece. Check it out on the website as I forgot to get a close-up of the necklace and it definitely deserves a look!
Baby girl is sick again, 4 days in a row, and the gala is tomorrow night. It has all come together stunningly and I am excited to watch it unfold.

Day 23: Bad Day, Good Look: how accessories got me to gala

Today called for a bright and fun look and the La Coco Gold Chain with the Paradise Brooch definitely delivered. Loving the look of layered bracelets, so I tried my hand at it with the La Coco Gold chain extension (yes, the La Coco is so versatile that parts of it can be worn as a bracelet) with the Gold Nugget Wrap Bracelet.
Happy day! I received all of my hostess rewards jewelry today from my Stella & Dot launch party. Eight gorgeous pieces await some outfit styling...yep, eight pieces total and one of them is a BIG one. But you will have to wait until the day after the gala to see that one....

Day 22: Bad Day, Good Look: how accessories got me to gala

She smiles!

Well, well Tuesday, you had more bite than expected. Knew things were going too smoothly. Sick baby day two of gala week. Z is a Saint. I owe him big time. Big time.

It was windy and chilly again this morning so out came the layers...which of course called for the fabulous Avery Necklace. A little rock and roll, a little grandma. Love it! The Soiree Studs took it up a notch with a little glitter.

Am very excited about Gala right now, it is going to be beautiful. Wonder what to wear...hope my new shoes come in time! And if they do that they are super-comfy!



She sits!


She leans!

Day 21: Bad Day, Good Look: how accessories got me to gala

Today is another good day. All the heavy lifting is done and all that is left are the details. A ton of them!
Since I was running around and lifting boxes the whole day it called for a cute but casual look. I wore the Penelope Necklace with the Pave Ellipse Necklace and then combined the Revival Bracelet with some other bangles I own.
I am working on the forced posing...having to take pictures of myself everyday makes me really self conscious. Oh well...four more days of daily picture posting and then I am taking a break.

Special Edition: Bad Day, Good Look: how accessories got me to gala

Today is the last Inner Circle Cast Party of the season and I could not be in a better mood! I think the attire reflects it, as I decided to embrace Spring with today's ensemble.


Since I had a Spring-like vibe happening, I layered three of the more delicate pieces that I have, the Signature Clover Necklace, the Chelsea Necklace and the Pave Ellipse Necklace. Yes, you have seen them together before, but they are just so fabulous and were perfect for today's happy outlook and I couldn't resist wearing them again.