How many ways can you wear the same dress?

Scarf:  me, Dress: Motherhood Maternity(similar), Boots: Steve Madden (similar), Bracelets: Forever 21

If you're lucky, when you're pregnant you'll find a few staple pieces to add to your wardrobe that can be worn so many different ways so you never feel "blah" about your look.  

This dress.  It takes the "blah" out of my maternity closet.  

This dress has become one of my favorite maternity pieces.  It's so versatile.  And I scored it for $4 at a consignment sale way back when I thought my belly would never be big enough to fill it out.  Oh how funny that was!  

Some things that make this dress awesome:

• the color; I can literally pair it with anything because of the grey color
• dress up or down: Pair it with boots and a scarf to dress it down or tights and a statement necklace for a nicer occasion
• sleeves: It has sleeves (layering make me way hot right now), but they can easily be pushed up above my elbow so that I am cooler
• length: Perfection.
• comfort: It's jersey knit which is stretchy and breathable and heavenly (esp when preggo)

I've worn this dress so many different ways already and I have many more ideas for future.  Hope you aren't sick of seeing it.  Chances are I'll figure out a few more ways to wear it in the next 2 months!

This is one of the items I styled for my 7x7 challenge.  (to see how I styled it click the link) To the naked eye, it may just look like a simple grey jersey knit dress, but to someone with a little imagination - it is a blank canvas!  

Spring Work Attire

Cardigan: Express (similar), Dress: Marshalls (option, option) , Shoes: Old Navy, Jewelry: Silpada, Kate Spade
(Cardigan: $10, Dress: $13, Shoes: $14)

Fall has always been my favorite season because of the beautiful colors,but spring is quickly taking over, my friends!In the past, I had always gravitated toward navy, browns, blacks, and neutrals.Recently, I've been attracted to brights, neons, and prints.  Oh my!I love spring because it opens me up to so many possibilities for work.I love the bright pops of color and summer dresses paired with a cardigan or blazer.Warm weather and sunshine make getting dressed in the morning that much easier.What do you like best about spring?

Quality vs. Quantity

Glasses: GlassesUSA, Necklace: eBay, Sweater: JCrew outlet (similar), Skirt: Loft (love this, and this one) ,
Booties: UrbanOG.com, Jewelry: Stella&Dot, Lila's Trunk

As I've embarked on this blogging journey, I've evolved as an individual, but also as a fashionista.  I still love my good bargains.  I still prefer to shop the sale racks.  However, I'm also realizing that I would rather have select quality items in my closet as opposed to an abundance of "cheap" pieces.

There are certain times when a purchase becomes an investment.  The important thing is to know when you are making an investment and when you are making a purchase.  So, I thought I would share some tools I use when deciding on a purchase.

Investment Pieces
These are the pieces that are going to be worn for years to come.  Pieces that are not just trends.  Classics, staples, and timeless pieces that you want to last forever because you can wear them forever.
Some of the pieces I consider investment pieces (and I'm willing to drop more money for) are:

• jeans 
• jackets, blazers, and cardigans
• shoes
• sweaters
• skirts and dresses

Now, I am not saying that I never buy "cheap" versions of these items.  I absolutely do.  Especially if they have a trendy pattern, color, or distressed look as those things fade in and out with the seasons.  And, there are times that I have purchased investment pieces that are inexpensive.  Price doesn't always equate quality.  (i.e. my denim jacket above was $25 at Old Navy and I've had it for years)

When making these purchases I generally ask myself some questions before swiping my card:

• How many ways can I wear this with other pieces already in my closet?
• Is this truly timeless?  Will I wear this 5 years from now?
• Is it flattering?  Does it fit?  
• Does it fit my lifestyle?  Will I be able to wear it often?

It's important to ensure that a piece you want to consider an investment is versatile.  Be sure you know how to properly care for those articles of clothing and that you are willing to properly tend to those items.  If it is delicate, treat it as one.

Non-investment Pieces

There are definitely times when you don't need to drop a wad of cash for a piece you want to add to your wardrobe.  For instance, the peplum.  I love it.  It flatters my body because it hides my trouble zone tummy.  However, I will be surprised if the peplum is still "in" this time next year.

I love stores like Forever 21, Target, Old Navy, and Kohl's because they provide everyone the opportunity to have flattering, modern, affordable wardrobes.  If I'm honest, most of my closet is from these stores.  They give women like us the ability to rock studded collars, colored denim, and emerald green while they are current without breaking the bank and leaving us with closet full of expensive has-beens three months later.  I definitely don't discriminate.  

Pieces I do not consider investments and therefore shop frugally for:

• trends
• tights/socks
• accessories
• shorts
• workout clothing
• camisoles (they are replaced way too often to be investments)

The important thing is to purchase items that are flattering to your shape, fit your lifestyle, and work with other pieces in your wardrobe.  If you make sure to focus on those things, you will be able to mix and match your investment and non-investment pieces to create great style.

If you haven't checked it out yet, I'm cohosting a giveaway for a $250 VISA Gift card!  #winning

How many ways can you spend 250 free dollars??? 
I'll give you a crazy number of ways to win the $250 VISA and you figure all the ways to spend it!

Heart Shaped Sweat has grown so much over the last few months! It's amazing to see all that has happened here and I'm excited for all that's to come. I couldn't have made it this far without the support from each of you! I'm so thankful for you little loves of mine :)

Helping me celebrate are 24 beautiful ladies...we're giving away a $250 VISA to one lucky reader! The options and entries are endless. With so many wonderful ladies and all the ways to get to know each one of them, I wouldn't dare limit your options!

Sooooooo get to clicking, making friends, and crossing fingers for the winnings!

Me! HeartShapedSweat, LynetteMarieh, FaithLove&Hope, PerceptionIsEverything, ChasingTexas
HooahAndHiccups, PursuitOfPink, EstherNorineDesigns, Her&Nicole, Kimberly'sKornerDesignYourDwelling, CaravanSonnet, OhSummerCandy, TheLilyField, PeaceItAllTogether

aMileInHerBoots, TheDomesticGeek, GraceForGayle, TheDomesticatedWorkingWoman, AnnieOneCanCook

TheStyleSoup, ABodyThatWontBreak, MommaCandy, Him&Her, GoingWithTheFlow

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Layering my Comfort Zone

Shirt: Aeropostale (similar), Dress: Old Navy, Boots: Steve Madden (similar),
Jewelry: Premier Designs & Stella&Dot

I'm a huge fan of the layered look...just not on me.  At least until now.

I always feel like I look frumpy or bulky when I layer.  Buuut, part of this challenge is growing as a cook and as a fashionista so here I go layering things I would have never thought would go together just six months ago.  I mean, not only am I layering a button up under a dress, I'm wear tartan under stripes!  Look what this blogging world has done to me!
**To prevent from looking frumpy/bunched I wore a tanktop over my button down under the dress to keep everything smooth.  Genius!**

I got this dress at Old Navy with a gift card from my Secret Santa.  I love it.  I have a feeling it will show up everywhere.  So, I needed to figure out some ways to wear it without looking like every other cute girl out there wearing it.  Lately, I'm loving me some plaid so I decided to take a huuuuge leap and layer my plaid button up underneath it.  What do you think?

Link up your layered look below!

Frugalista Friday Copycat #2

Here is my inspiration picture.  I found this look and it gave me some inspiration to rewear this dress I had gotten for a steal and refashioned a few months ago.

I love the dress and wanted different ways to wear it.  I guess this is just another way of shopping my closet.  After all, I want to get as much wear out of this cute dress as possible!

This outfit was super cozy and it got me a ton of compliments!  Here is the breakdown:

Outfit Deets

Sweater: $15 (Old Navy, old, similar)

Dress: 25 cents (thrift)

Tights: $5 (Target)

Boots: $20 (Gap, old, similar)

Total Cost: $40.25

Pleasant Surprise

If you've been around for any amount of time, you know I have a huge aversion to the mall.  Seriously, I hate going to the mall.  It's not the crowd that gets me (I Black Friday shop every year).  It's the noise/over-stimulation/loiterers that bother me.

Thrift stores, department stores, and boutiques are more my speed.  

Sunday I was attempting to get all of my Christmas shopping done for my husband (Totally didn't realize how old I am before deciding to shop alllll day.  Ouch) and needed to go to the mall for one of his gifts.  I made it my absolutely last stop for many reasons, but ended up having to wait around for an hour and a half to pick up something I purchased.

Long story short, the mall pleasantly surprised me.  As I was wandering aimlessly (knowing I still needed to hit up Bed, Bath, and Beyond and Wally World) to waste the time, I came across a new boutique in the mall, Pink and Blue.

I've never seen a boutique of this caliber in a mall before.  In fact, I was so flabbergasted, I even asked the young lady waiting on me if they were considered a "boutique."  Her response, "You could say that."  I felt really silly after that question.

I would compare this boutique to Daisy Rae, Kiki LaRue, or Clothes Hound.  

Anyway, even though I was Christmas shopping, I decided to pick up a few items there that I fell in love with.  Actually, I can't call it a decision...more an impulse...but who's keeping track?  Unfortunately the owner doesn't currently have a website, but I left her with my business information in case she was interested in doing a giveaway or advertising.  I'll keep you posted.

Blouse: Everly c/o Pink & Blue, Jeans: Rockstar (Old Navy), Flats: Goody's (old), Necklace: eBay

I tell you all this because it was so refreshing to see something new, innovative, and stylish come to our mall.  I'm telling you, this was my first time being there in at least a year.  
VERY Pleasant surprise.

If you haven't yet, click here and sign up for my Christmas giveaway!

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy & Because Shana Said So

Christmas Shopping

Have you entered my giveaway yet?  I'm giving away a handmade

Christmas garland.  Just click here and enter to win!

I love Christmas shopping.  (I feel like I start a lot of blog posts withe words I love...  Too much?)

Maybe its part of the fact that I love surprises.  Maybe I just love gifting.  Or the Christmas wrap.  Or possibly I just love to shop!  I don't know what it is exactly.

However, something about Christmas shopping just makes my heart smile.  You too?

Shirt: Aeropostale (love this one), Vest: American Eagle (similar), Tee: Old Navy, Jeans: Levi's, Boot socks: Walmart, Boots: Steve Madden, Necklace: gift & Silpada, Bracelets: Lila's Trunk & Stella & Dot

I love coming up with that one thing that "speaks to me" when I am shopping for someone in particular.  Do you experience that?  Do the gifts you buy "speak" to you?  Or am I crazy?

Maybe, don't answer that.

I just get this feeling when I have someone or some thing in mind for a gift idea and all of a sudden I find that perfect gift.  Almost like that one thing was put in that store just for me to see for that one special person on my list.

It doesn't hurt that Christmas shopping is accompanied by Christmas music, Starbucks red cups, and twinkling lights.  How can you not love that atmosphere?

Do you love Christmas shopping?

Shopping My Closet || Casual Spots

If you've been around le blog a while, you know that I've been working my way through my closet in an effort to style the pieces I already have in new ways.  You can see my posts on shopping my closet here, here, and here.

I bought this leopard print top at a thrift store this summer after contemplating whether or not I could pull off the leopard trend.  I later jumped on the flats bandwagon as well.

Anywho, I was feeling a casual day one day for work and decided to dress up my grey sweater a little bit by throwing on the leopard underneath.  I think it works - you may disagree.

I like the fact that the leopard top has no sleeves so my guns aren't on display underneath my sweater.

Top: thrift, Sweater: Ann Taylor Loft (similar), Jeans: Joes, Shoes: Belk (old)

What do you think?  Is my leopard print now work place approp?

Shopping My Closet: Round 3

Hey everybody!  If you want, take a peak at the first and second round of shopping my closet.

For those just visiting today, the point of shopping my closet is for me to go inside and create new ways to style old/familiar pieces.  Sometimes an item becomes so familiar that we get stuck wearing it the same way every time we wear it.  As I've gone out shopping recently, I've realized that there is nothing I really feel my wardrobe is lacking...however there are still days when I open those closet doors and think to myself (or my lucky hubs): "Gosh, I have nothing to wear."  You too?

So, as I was getting ready for a bridal shower last weekend, I texted my girlfriend asking her what she was wearing.  She started to complain that she had no "fall dresses" in her closet.  It made me think, I bet there are a lot of people out there wondering how to transition their summer dresses into a fall-ppropriate wardrobe.

I thought I would provide some ways that one might take a dress from summer to fall and possibly even winter.  It's actually not hard to do utilizing a few accessories/pieces you probably already own.
 Here are the two summer dresses I chose to transition:

Both dresses are cute and versatile for summer.  All I did to transition them into fall was add a few accessories/statement pieces you already have in your closet at home.

Dress: Old Navy (old), Cardigan: Gap Outlet, Necklace: eBay, Belt: Forever 21, Boots: Laredo

 Cardigans, boots, belts, and statement necklaces are a great way to make a simple summer dress work in cooler temps.  For a dressed down look, I love wearing my denim jacket over a dress with boots.  It's a great look for concerts.

Dress: Belk (old), Denim Jacket: Old Navy, Boots: Madden Girl

So there you have it, ladies!  There is no need to have separate "summer dresses" and "fall dresses."  You can wear your summer dresses throughout the seasons by adding some simple key pieces.

(It is still pretty warm in NC in the fall so I'm not wearing tights, but I would definitely rock a pair of tights under these dresses.)

Linking up with Wardrobe Wednesday!

Shopping My Closet Round 2

Hi!  If you're joining me for the first time today, I've been inspired to stay away from the malls for a little while and do some shopping in my own closet for a change.  You see, I find myself wandering around stores and picking up pieces that I like and then thinking..."I have something really similar to this at home."  The end result being me walking out empty handed and it hit me, if I have all this awesome stuff hanging in my closet at home, why am I not wearing it?!

If you want to see what I came up with the first time I shopped my closet click here.

So, today I decided to use this great houndstooth graphic blouse as my remixable piece from my wardrobe.  I bought this blouse for less than $10 at Gap last year after losing some weight.  I absolutely adored it, but sadly, only found myself wearing it with denim.  So my goal was to find ways to incorporate this blouse into teacher attire.  Let's see how I did:

Blouse: Gap (old), Pants: Old Navy (altered), Shoes: Old Navy (old), Glasses: GlassesUSA

 I just love this shirt!  It's got a billow-y, feminine cut, with a more masculine graphic design making it very versatile.  Much more versatile than I gave it credit for.  I decided to pair it with a pair of maroon skinnies that I also struggle to style.  Don't ask me why. 

 Now that I see this blouse with these pants, I seriously question why I never saw this happening before.  These look great together and they are so not complicated.  Do you ever feel like sometimes you over-complicate the items in your closet?  I do that and then I end up missing out on these great pairings because I get it stuck in my head that an article of clothing can only be worn a certain way.

Blouse: Gap (old), Belt: Forever 21, Skirt: me, Shoes: Wilson's Leather (old)

 This is probably my favorite look with this blouse.  I made this skirt over the summer and have just been dying to wear it and now that fall has rolled in, I've been wearing it out.  #sorrynotsorry

 I feel like this is just such a simple, fun, still professional way of styling it.  I love how the belt gives me a waist and the mustard skirt is a pop of color against the blouses' neutrals.  For these shoes, I die.  Seriously, I look for any reason/way to wear them.  I got them at Wilson's Leather years ago for an extreme sale at less than $20 and absolutely adore the color.

 Had to share this as my hubby caught me mid-laugh.  He cracks me up sometimes.  Love him.

So, I also have another outfit that I put together with this blouse, but it broke a few of my "closet shopping" rules so I'm going to share it tomorrow.  I'm allowed to break the rules because I'm the one that made them.  Ha!

So stop on back tomorrow to see the more casual way I styled this great blouse.

Happy Shopping!

**If you've decided to shop your closet, please, share the link in your comment below so I can see what you're up to and possibly gain some inspiration from you!**

Linking up with:

Shopping My Closet Round 1

**Head on over to All Things Alisa to see my post for her series, Diaries of a Fashionista {Outfit Under 50 Challenge}**

I love shopping.

Last weekend I went shopping to get fabric for my upcoming craft fair and to scope out the Labor Day Sales and do you know...

I walked out empty handed!

That is not normal, people.  Honestly, I just couldn't find anything worthy of my cha-ching.

It made me start to think that all those nights I get my clothes out and prepare an outfit for the next day...the nights where I think, "Gosh, I've got nothing to wear that I haven't already worn."

Perhaps....(just perhaps), I'm wrong!

So, I'm diving into my closet and pulling out some of my favorite items and finding new ways to style them.  I have so many pieces that are versatile and stylish.  There is absolutely no reason why I feel like I have nothing to wear.

The first thing I pulled out is a great plum skirt that I rarely wear, but absolutely adore.  I must admit the only thing I have ever worn this skirt with is a plain black tee, tights, and boots.  So, I branched out and pulled together some other outfits to go with it. 

 I apologize for the poor lighting in these pictures.  I prefer having my pictures taken outside, but my hubby and I got caught in the rain when we attempted to do that last night.  So, this will serve the purpose for today.  Please, bear with me.

Skirt: Belk (similar here), Tank: Old Navy, Blazer: Kohls

Here, I paired the skirt with a purple tank top making it appear to be a dress.  I put on my grey Lauren Conrad blazer from Kohl's and a pair of bone colored shoes I wore in a wedding.  I added a turquoise bracelet to give a pop of color since my plum is really acting as a neutral here.  And accented it with a silver necklace I thrifted last week.

I don't know if you can tell, but this skirt has a great bow detail on the waistband.  It gives it a little extra in the cuteness department.  I bought it on the sale rack at Belk a few years ago for $13.

Skirt: Belk (similar here), Blouse: Old Navy (similar here), Pumps: Dr. Scholl's (can't find them!)

Here, I paired the skirt with a polka dot shirt I got at Old Navy two years ago for $3.50!  I love the polka dot blouse; I wear it a lot!  You will definitely be seeing it again especially since polka dots are currently trending! I kept it simple with a pair of black pumps.

Ladies, these are seriously the most comfortable pumps I've ever had on my feet!  They are made by Dr. Scholl's.  I got them about six years ago from The Brown Shoe Closet if you ever come across one.  Seriously, I can wear these babies all day teaching, coach a basketball game in them, and then go out to dinner after.  They're that good.

This morning, my hubby and I were talking about how certain things in our closet never get worn and then one day, out of necessity, we pull them out and wear them.  And we realize how much we like them or how comfy they are or how many compliments we get while wearing them and suddenly, they are back in our wardrobe rotations!  

I encourage you to go shopping in your closet.  I guarantee you have  some hidden gems in there and you just need to rethink ways to wear them.  It's fun and free!