Thrifty Thursday ~ Frugal Christmas Decor

I love Christmas decorations.  I love the glitter, the shine, the pretty.  I love the ceramic Santa and the dancing snowman.  I love it all.

I could spend hours at Target or Michaels perusing the holiday aisles.  It is my most favorite time of year.  Forgive me for using every superlative I know to express this love.

Anyway, you can imagine my strong desire to buy new, shiny Christmas decor every year.  But, this simply isn't possible.  We've been gifted most of our decorations (which I love).  However, I did want to pick up a few items to add to our holiday sparkle.

Enter Target Dollar bins!  Most of my life's dilemmas can be solved in the $1 bins at Target.  I snagged a ton of these mini ornaments.  I just didn't know what I was going to put them in.

I am a woman with lots of flower vases.  I guess that speaks to the chivalry of my husband, but don't tell him I said so ;)  However, the ornaments only half-filled my vase, and I thought it looked silly on my mantle.

I salvaged some old colored tissue paper from the holiday bin. It nearly called out to me for a new home.

 I took our frame that usually holds our wedding photo and slipped in this cute little printable.  I love Elf!  I'm pretty happy with the result.  

Since today is December 1st I've been trying to decide on an advent calendar to do with Amelia.  I thought this looked just my style.  Simple and cheap.  But, what happens if I want to make mini-muffins in December? Hmm...could get tricky.  

Happy December everyone! 

Ode to my Wardrobe

I've been having lots of moments lately where I stand in front of my closet and mourn the loss of my clothing.  Dress slacks, fitted collared shirts, and a few skirts hang listlessly in my closet.  Sometimes we reminisce about all the good times we had together.

Maybe part of my depression stems from my lack of organization...

Were you expecting a color-matched and pristinely designed closet picture here?  Wrong blog, people.

Anyway, I think I speak for a lot of stay-at-home and work-at-home Moms when I say, I really miss my work wardrobe sometimes.  Sure, jeans and a comfy top are playdate staples that every mom appreciates.  But, sometimes, you just want to pull on something a little less durable and practical.  And not just for date night, but during actual hours of sunlight.

I miss the act of buying work clothes as well.  I was a teacher, so I loved the easy, dressy style of Banana Republic, The Loft, and JCrew.  I feel like there's no real purpose buying "nicer" clothes now, I mean, they have to be play-doh and snotty nose resistant - right? (That's code for No Dry-Cleaning).

I need to pull some of my favorites aside and consider how to make workable outfits out of them.  I think this would be an adventure in frugality.  Learning to work what you own, instead of buying new.

I love blogs that help me feel moms can be chic and comfortable while chasing after small children.

How do you mix your "work" and "play" clothes to make your own style?  Do you have a favorite everyday style blog?

Movin' on up! Or over.

Box 'em up and ship 'em out!

We are moving to a new rental tomorrow and I am feeling a combo of...

• Excited - More room to grow - woohoo!
• Anxious - I hope it all goes as planned and nothing gets broken or lost.
• Sentimental - We had a baby here in this bungalow by the bay.  I won't forget it.
• Trepidatious - Will we like our new neighborhood?

In other news, posts might be sparse over the next week as we get our internet and lives up and running.

For now, I will leave you with some link love from around the web.  Enjoy and have a lovely Fall weekend!

Melissa & Doug deals on Zulilly

fabulous Halloween costumes

cheap date night

gorgeous Fall mantle

baked pumpkin pie oatmeal - yum!

Fall Crafts for the Non-Crafty

I wish I was craftier.  I really do.  I try.  I make small attempts from time to time, but I was always one who had trouble coloring in the lines.

Each new season brings me renewed hope.  Hope that I can decorate in a chic and cheap fashion.

I am in love with these...

Martha Stuart Glitter Pumpkins

source

Martha wouldn't lead me wrong - right??

Another frugal way to decorate?

Bring in nature.  One lysol-ed pinecone at a time.

Pinecone Critters

source

Not feeling too crafty?  Well then, mums the word...

and just grab a wild party of gourds.  I mean, don't they just look like a good time?

How are you planning on decorating for the Fall?  

Want-itis Cure: Window Shopping

I'm a girl.

At my core, I want to be surrounded by pretty things.

Okay, maybe I need to have pretty things in my life.

Finding that balance is an on-going battle for me.  Sometimes I give in, and I let a case of want-itis take over.  And sometimes, I feel rejuvenated afterwards.  Other times, I feel worse than before.

Does this make me sound like a drug addict?!  I really hope not.

Want-itis - (noun) An incredible urge to procure STUFF.  Clothes, accessories, home goods, decorations, gadgets, etc.  

Synonyms:  Crave-able, I-needs-its, yes please!, OMG - LOVE!, gottahaveitnow

Example Sentence:  The woman suffered from a case of want-itis when she chose to purchase a new handbag over her  Roth IRA deposit.

Don't get me wrong, I am not against shopping.  I'm against losing control to the evil wants.

Anyway, I'm finding ways to cope with want-itis.  It really battles with my budget and gets me feeling guilty.  I could whine and say that I am "merely a product of my consumer-driven society," but that just sounds...well... whiny.  Adults don't whine.  They get creative.

I got creative this week.  I did something I don't usually trust myself to do.

I window shopped.

I cruised the mall and fingered the new Fall lines at JCrew and Banana Republic.  I smiled at the sales associates and scoured the clearance racks.  I held back and controlled my urge to bolt into the dressing room.  I knew that was going to take it too far.  Once you undress with new clothes, you kind of cross that line.  There's no way you can hang them back after such intimacy.  Am I right, ladies?  I don't trust myself that much.

New, pretty things were not in the budget this week, but I'm sure I can squeeze them in soon.  Having that control over my wallet makes me feel mature and powerful in a pretty amazing way.  In my younger 20's I would have impulsed and given in to the want-itis.  Not now.  Especially not with my daughter watching me with her knowing toddler ways.  I want to teach her how she can feel pretty AND empowered, all at the same time.  Part of that is keeping on a budget.

Another perk of window shopping?  Harry and David coffee sample!  Mine tasted like apple pie, and satisfied me without turning into a Starbucks five-buck fiasco.

Overall, I actually felt really uplifted after my brief window-shopping excursion.  I was lured into the stores, but once I was there, I felt swayed by very few pieces.  That must be a side effect of frugality.  Picky spender.

Decisions, decisions...

I was gifted a bit of spending cash for my birthday recently, and I have been hoarding it closely.  I won't even put it in my purse yet, because I don't trust myself not to impulse spend on something I don't absolutely love.  I think that's been a major side effect for me.  When I do have money to spend either from gifts or my small bit of blow money, I have a really hard time letting it go.  I'm making a small list of what I could buy with my fund.  Again, battling that want and need see-saw.  

Asics Women's Frantic 3 Running Shoe

I overdid it a few weeks ago in my old Asics and found that my feet were ticked off!  Sore arches and irritated ankles.  I've had to slow down to just a brisk walk, but I have been putting off buying a new pair.  I am digging the purple and grey tones on this pair.  

Updated Flat Iron

Anything newer that five years would be a major improvement to my current flat iron.  Mine is thick and outdated, and maybe damaging my ends.  Not very sleek.  I am searching for an inexpensive and dependable iron, somewhat slimmer in width.  This one is from CHI, and I have heard good things about the brand.  Every frizzy (ahem) I mean curly-haired curl longs for what she doesn't have.  *sigh*

JCrew Fall 2011

Why must they torture me!?  Fall is by far, my favorite season to shop for.  I could not be happier that flair jeans are back.  I am not a woman who is benefitted by the skinny jean craze, although I adore the look.  I also love the mustard hue blazer, and recently got a t-shirt in the same shade.  I might have to settle for some dark rinse flairs from Old Navy this season. 

and just for fun..

Essie Nail Color

Sign me up for all of these.  This brand is my new obsession.  The paint lasts forever and the colors are so vibrant.  Love.

Momma Likes a Deal

What did we do before deal sites?  I mean, really.  Have you shopped a recent flash sale?  Though I haven't made any purchases recently, I do love cruising these sites for the latest mom and baby deals.

Zulily
Check out Zulily for highly discounted clothes and accessories for moms and babies.  They carry toys, games, home goods, and decorating tidbits too.  I adore their lines of maternity and nursing gear for moms.  The size charts are accurate and detailed.  I know I always worry about something fitting perfectly when shopping online. You even get $15 for referring friends who purchase items.  Shameless plug here! This weeks' deal on kid's Crocs is going fast.  Aren't these adorable?

Warning:  Grown adults, particularly hairy legged men, should err on the side of caution when purchasing Crocs.  Your kids are cute.  You, my friend, are disturbing. 

Totsy
I recently joined this site and am pretty impressed so far!  They have similar stock to Zulily and showcase many unique boutique lines.  Today you can snag a quality Cybex booster seat for less than $90.  I don't like anything flashy for the car, something that goes with the interior maybe?

These sites also have a great preview option.  Several days before a sale hits, they list a ticker so you can be prepared.  Hot deals go FAST.  The inventory seems pretty low on some things, so I suggest keeping an eye open if you're in the market for a specific item.  

Remember to identify a want from a need when visiting these sites.  Not every deal is a fabulous one, but with time you'll be able to tell the difference.  

Looks Lust

Just because I have to budget and tell myself "NO!" doesn't mean I can't drool over these outfits...right?

sigh....

I think I caught the Middleton Bug.  I need a shopping fix - STAT!

Get Shorty! DIY

Just finished up a fun DIY trick I haven't done since I was like 13. I am loving the look of distressed jean shorts for Summer, so I decided to give it a whirl. I dug out two old pairs of jeans that had awkward lengths (pretty common when you're 6'1) or were dated styles. I went for two different looks. One very distressed and one more clean and cuffed. I used sharp hair-cutting shears and took out some aggression on those babies! Then, I scruffed them a bit with a hard bristled brush. Go easy on the rear though, ladies, don't need a peep show!

I'm tossing the distressed pair in the wash for some extra fluffy details. Here are my finished products - what do you think??

I think the right idea is not to be TOO correct with this technique.  Note the uneven hem lines and haphazard cuffs.  Plus, I love that I could control the inseam and not flash too much thigh.  Perfect!

Also, did I mention?  FREE!

Thou shall not covet...

But I do covet. I covet lots and lots.