Frugal Fashionista, Volume 4

    

It's safe to say if you live in the North once the end of February comes around you're craving warmth and sunshine like crazy!! And when the temperature reaches 30+ it feels much like a heatwave so you've gotta break out your sandals... anyone else feel this way too or is that just me. HA! 

I'm a sandals and flowy tunic-dress kinda girl and I can't wait to repeat this outfit without the sweater when it's warmer! This tunic dress is great with jeans and will be perfect on its own in the summer! 

Speaking of, can you believe I got this dress for $1.14 at Plato's Closet!!! I grabbed it when they had their bag sale, unsure if I would like what it looked like on... I'm SO glad I snatched it up because I LOVE IT! 

I haven't been thrifting in a few weeks and we don't have many plans for this week.. maybe I'll have to get my fix on and share what I find next week with y'all! When you're out thrifting, what are your favorite things to look for?! 

Links + Lovelies

 

Happiest Friday, lovelies! I'm back for another round of Links + Lovelies!!

1. We've seen the sun multiply times this week! This is huge for those of us who are trying to survive through the winter in the North, haha!!

2. I'm on a quest to clear our house + my skin routines from toxins.. I recently purchased this lip balm from Juice Beauty. It's so good!!

3. God has blessed me with one of the sweetest friends from my Africa trip and I couldn't be more thankful for her encouragement, wisdom, & support. I'm talking about you, Neener ;)

4. If you follow me on IG you know I shared about the new toxin-free deodorant I recently purchased from Primally Pure. So far I am LOVING it and can't wait to get another scent!! Plus they sent me a free lip balm and it has left my lips so super soft! Want a 10% discount on your purchase? Message me and I'll hook you up!

5. A few years ago my B and I started a new tradition of having Christmas in February. We love it so much and just celebrated Christmas yesterday. He got me this amazing globe and it instantly brought tears to my eyes, y'all! He knows the things that touch my heart.

And that's a wrap! I'd love to hear some of your favorites from this week.. are you currently using any  toxic-free products?! DO SHARE!

Oh! And just incase you need the reminder like I do ... February 22 means we're that much closer to spring, y'all! We're going to make it!

Frugal Fashionista, Volume 3

        

First off, is my puppy not the cutest thing ever in his vest?! This was 100% NOT planned.. FYI I do NOT plan matching outfits with my dog .. he kinda just snuck in the pictures while my babe was snapping them!! Now that I see them, I really love them :)

I grabbed this vest from none other than Plato's Closet a few weeks ago and love that I've been able to wear it with this cold winter weather. While I'm not exactly a fan of the cold, I do love the cozy layering with scarves and vests and sweaters (but I'm kinda ready for spring + summer clothes because sandals are my BFF)!! As for the boots.. they're a hand-me-down from my neighbor friend.. I wasn't sure about them at first but now I love them!

Would you rather be cozy in layers for winter or dressed in sandals and a dress for summer?! I think if I could choose, I'd pick sandals and dresses hands down!

P.S. I'll be back tomorrow to share my first installment of my time in Uganda. I can not wait to relive those days with all of you!

Links + Lovelies

Another week has come and gone and that means I get to share 5 of my favorite links + lovelies with all of you PLUS get to hear about your week too! Here we go...

1. I'm not usually a big Valentine's Day celebrate-er but this year I was excited to see the day come!! My B and I surprised each other with gifts, spent the day together, & had a quiet dinner at home. It was perfect :)

2. I bought this book several months ago and decided to pick it up again. It's SO GOOD and I highly recommend it if you've ever been hurt by words thrown at you.

3. We went to the local outlets to grab some new jeans for my guy. Aerie had their *ehh emm* undergarments 10 for $30.. seriously worth the $30, y'all! The sale is good until 2/18 and can be found here!!

4. My sweet friend Rachel sent a bunch of Young Living samples and I am so excited to try them out and learn more about oils! It's been on my list of "never will I ever" for the longest time so it cracks me up that I'm anxious to dabble in them now.. are you an oily lover?!

5. One of my friend's recently started a wellness podcast that I've been listening to all week. SO MUCH good information, y'all! I'm now currently on a quest to rid my house of toxins of all kinds! You can find her Podcast IG + learn more here!

That's all for me.. now it's YOUR TURN! I'd love for you to share lovelies from your week + some links that you've been loving lately, too!!

Be Love

   

Happy Love Day, lovelies! I'm usually not a fan of the over-popularized Hallmark holiday, but I do appreciate the reminder of love floating through the air all month long.

Whether you have a babe to celebrate the day with, your celebrating with some of your gal pals, or you'll be alone, we ALL have someone we love and can show intentionality to this love month! I thought it'd be fun to share 5 of my favorite ways to remind others that they are thought of and loved, with you.

1. LISTEN TO A FRIEND/FAMILY.. life is hard and sometimes we just need someone to hear our heartaches, struggles, exciting news etc! Try practicing intentional listening by being fully present in your conversations this month.. set your phone, thoughts, & quick responses aside and be all ears!

2. CHECK UP ON AN ELDERLY NEIGHBOR .. my precious neighbor "Grandma" comes to mind when I think of this one. Make a phone call or knock on their door .. plan a visit or take them a meal.. 5-10 minutes can be such a spirit lifter for a lonely person.

3. MAKE A TREAT + DELIVER TO A NURSING HOME .. if you've ever been in a nursing home for more than 5 minutes you know they can be really hard places. While not all are the same, many of the residents rarely get visitors. Make or grab a treat and spread some cheer by passing it out at lunch time. Each of their smiles will warm your heart!!

4. BUY FLOWERS + LEAVE THEM ON SOMEONE'S DOORSTEP .. whether it's someone you know or a complete stranger, unexpected gifts are always a way to brighten someones day and the perfect reminder that she is thought of and cared about. Surprises are so much fun!

5. SEND SNAIL MAIL .. so much of our days are spent communicating through text and messenger, we forget to be present in our relationships. Grab a card from the dollar store and/or a $5 Starbucks gift card and pop it in the mail to a friend who could use a pick me up! Your words might just bring hope to her day and strength to her weariness!

I could go on and on with different ways we can be love this month, but we'll keep it at that! I'd love to challenge you to PICK ONE (or something you come up with on your own!) and work at it this month. You'll be amazed at what showing love to someone else will do for your soul!!

Happy love month, lovelies... let's be intentional together and just incase you needed the reminder today.. you can sit with me forever.

Frugal Fashionista, Volume 2

    

Happy Tuesday, lovelies! I'm back again for another week of Frugal Fashionista! I recently found these like-new AE jeans for a crazy steal of $8 + the sweater was only $1!! Both were purchased from Plato's Closet, my favorite secondhand shop! American Eagle jeans are my absolute favorite and I love that I can find like-new jeans at such affordable prices. All the hallelujahs, people!

Speaking of jeans ... last weekend when I visited my grandpa he instantly noticed my ripped jeans when I walked in the door. Our conversation about them was absolutely hilarious and he couldn't believe I actually paid money for them. Those wise in years can't quite understand our terms of fashion and clothing these days and it cracks me up!!

Are you a ripped jeans girl or would you rather pay for all the material ;) and I'd love to know, what is your favorite brand to wear?!

P.S. I am SO looking forward to warmer weather so I can show y'all some of the dresses, skirts, & fun tops I've found while thrifting!

What's in my cup + Giveaway Winner!

Happy Monday, lovelies! I just finished off a cafe mocha and I'm already wishing I had another.. it's safe to say I have an addiction to coffee & Starbucks! Speaking of Starbucks, I thought I'd share 2 of my favorite go-to drinks with y'all today!

             

(Left) Peach Citrus White Tea Lemonade .. I'm not usually a big tea person, but this drink y'all! It's so tasty and refreshing! It's perfect for a hot summer afternoon, but I've even found myself ordering it several times this winter because it tastes so good! I love adding a little sweetener to this one, but it tastes just as good unsweetened! Plus it's only 170 calories for the Venti!

(Right) Iced Doppio Decaf Espresso .. this one is my #1 go-to and makes me feel a little extra, haha! I request it in a Venti cup with coconut milk + 3 pumps of vanilla.. it's pretty strong, depending on how much milk they add in, but it's oh.so.tasty. The best part? It's only $2.94! SO CHEAP for Starbucks!

Let me know if you try either of my faves and what you think of them! Are you a Starbucks or Dunkin girl?! What's your go-to order? DO SHARE!!

P.S. Thanks to each of you who entered the giveaway on Friday.. so excited to share (via random name picker) EMILY is the winner of the Starbucks e-giftcard! Message me on Insta with your email, friend! CONGRATULATIONS!

Links + Lovelies

      

Hey girl, hey! 

Every Friday I plan to share some of my favorite links + lovelies from my week!! Let's get started with week 1! 

1. Tuesday I visited my hair lady and got this sassy new do + some blonde added! So far I'm LOVING the short locks and will be keeping it this way for quite awhile. 

2. After my haircut my guy and I went on a lunch date to our favorite Mexican place.. we had loaded nachos and I'm craving them again already! 

3. I've been attending a ladies Bible Study at church and we're using this book.. it is SO GOOD and I highly recommend it. 

4. I started using the new hair-care line by SeneGence a few days ago and I'm really loving it! I can't wait to see what it does for my hair! Wanna learn more? Read here! 

5. I get a weekly newsletter from Ashley Stockel's Kingdom Curator. It's always an encouragement and I'm sure you would love it! Wanna sign up? Follow this link! 

That's all for this week!! Now it's YOUR turn.. I'd love to hear some of your favorites from this week.. lovelies or links! Every person who shares will be entered to WIN a $5 Starbucks e-giftcard! I'll announce the winner on Monday!  

Happy weekend loves, never forget that you can sit with me forever. 

Frugal Fashionista Volume 1

    

So excited to start this fun series with y'all! Fashion + creating outfits is one of my favorite hobbies! Wanna hear something hilarious and a little ocd..  several years ago when I worked in the school system I created a DIFFERENT outfit for each of the 180 days of school! It was a challenge and so much fun!!! Although I don't work at the school anymore, I still love putting outfits together ... especially when they're at a discounted price! 

My logic.. why purchase a pair of jeans for $50-$60 when you can find them a few months later at a thrift store for $12 or cheaper! One man's trash is another man's treasure, am I right?! 

This past weekend I jumped in the car and hit up our local Plato's Closet. Plato's is easily one of my favorite secondhand shops because they always have the best selection of clothes at a steeply discounted price. 

I snagged 13 pieces of clothing for $15 with their bag sale -- this top being one of them! I got these AE jeans for $12 several months ago at P.C. and my jacket is one of my favorite garage sale finds for just $5! $18 for my complete outfit.. I'll take it! 

I'd love to know.. are you a fan of thrifting?! What are some of your favorite stores to find lovely pieces at? 

I'll be back next week for another edition of Frugal Fashionista & never forget.. you can sit with me forever. 

I've gotta break the blog ice!

Hello lovelies! Welcome to my little corner of the inter-webs, 

I'm so glad you stopped in! 

Ready for some randomness to break the blog ice?!

Most days you'll find me rolling paper beads or doing puzzles (after the house is spotless of course!), dreaming of being mama to a million german shepherds, sipping on Starbucks iced coffee or La Croix, & listening to lots and lots of worship music.. and lets be real, watching WAY too much Netflix with my guy! 

My heart beats for mission work and the poor/orphaned/widowed + I dream of doing full-time ministry with my B one day.

Christmas is my favorite holiday, I could eat endless amounts of french fries and cheese sauce, I'm terrible at cooking but love to bake, and I live for warm summer nights on the porch. 

Oh and thrifted fashion is my jam!

Ever since I can remember I've loved writing, doodling, & making a journal out of every book I own. I believe God has given me the gift of writing and THAT is why I started this space. Here you'll find lessons He is teaching me, recipes I love, thrifted outfit finds, and other randomness I feel led to share with you!

I'd love if you'd grab your favorite blanket and beverage and stay for awhile -- let's be gals pals! I pray God speaks through my writing and encourages you to chase after the very best you that He created you to be. 

I hope you leave feeling uplifted, loved, & valuable.

Okay, enough about me! Please, I want to know something about YOU! What makes you unique? What's your favorite food? Your dream calling?! I can't wait to learn about you so please don't be shy & share in the comments! 

Let's make Whatever is Lovely a community of lovely souls! 

And just so you know ... You can sit with me forever.