Gazelle intensity and stopping shopping

I'm a fashion blog fanatic. I love to read them, gain ideas, and think about how I can improve this blog (even if I haven't necessarily done anything yet). One consequence of reading so many fashion blogs is the "I want to buy that" disease. I've gotten a little better about shopping since trying to adjust my shopping focus, but I could still do a lot better, both for the ethics and for my wallet. I've been listening to Dave Ramsey a lot lately, and he talks about getting "gazelle intense" when getting yourself into financial shape.

So from tomorrow, August 1, 2013 to the end of the year, December 31, 2013, I'm stopping shopping.

I've got a couple of birthday gift cards, so I'm probably going to use them this weekend during our state sales tax holiday, and I might cash in some Swagbucks (my referral link) for some store gift cards for fall clothes, but I'm not going to spend any of my own money on clothing/shoes/accessories until 2014.

Additionally, this will help me remix my closet and use what's already in there. I've been doing that a little lately. My outfit from my preppy pattern mixing post was full of items that I had never even worn before! I think it will also help me learn what kind of closet gaps I have so I can be a smarter shopper.

Wish me luck because I'm sure there are going to be some challenges ahead!

Linking up with:

The Reversible Dress

This dress is reversible! It has polka dots on the other side, and I think it will make me feel like Minnie Mouse. =) I got it from my grandma for my birthday and really like it, but it's a little short to be worn to work without anything under it. Also, why are these legging so shiny? Is it because they're junior-sized on a not junior-sized set of legs?

 

 

Hope everyone had a great Monday! I don't want to think about July being nearly over!

Feeling like a suburban housewife...

Oh wait, that's kind of what I am (a working outside of the home housewife but why argue?).

This shirt is what caused me to proclaim that ironing is the devil's chore. It was one of the first things in my stack that I ironed, and by the time I finished with the stack, it was already wrinkled again. Argh! At least it looked summery. Couple of notes on this outfit: the shirt was $1 at Rue 21. It was one of those "buy something full price and get a second item for $1" sales. I bought it a few months ago but just now ironed it to wear it. Second, the shoes are children's shoes! I normally wear about a 6.5/7 in women's shoes, but I was able to go to kid's size with these. I've had these a while but always forget about them when I wear white pants.

New earrings from the mother-in-law!

I'm trying a new photo location in the house too. I think I like it better than the one I used before. I'm still not brave enough to go outside though! Also, I made a couple of changes to my layout. I'm not sure if I like them yet, so there may be more coming soon!

Preppy Pattern Mixing

Today was a fashion risk for me. I've never done such overt pattern mixing. In fact, my pattern mixing is limited to one instance where I wore a printed tank top and pants with very subtle pinstriping. I don't even know if anyone noticed. Today I felt...out there. It did get the husband seal of approval when I tried it on last night, and my mom said it wasn't bad when I saw her today, so I guess it wasn't as bad as I thought. You be the judge:

Here's a close up of the two patterns:

I didn't get a good shot of it, but my shirt is a Ralph Lauren and has a monogram on it, which made me feel extra preppy today. Also, my shirt and skirt are from Goodwill! You can't beat that!

Also, linking up with Thrifters Anonymous!

 

What I Wore: July 15, 2013

Well hello again! I've only been gone for a month. No big deal, right? ;-P I think I can be forgiven since today (all 39 minutes that are left as I'm writing this!) is my birthday! And it's not just any birthday; it's my 30th birthday! Say what?!? I remember thinking as a teenager that 30 sounded so old, and I would have all of my crap together. Guess what? I definitely don't! But, I'm getting there!

A few weeks ago, my husband and I had a discussion about my style after I wore a particularly frumpy outfit to church one night. We talked about how I always stick to dark colors, don't really experiment with color, etc. That lead me to buying some clothes at Old Navy (and completely falling from my commitment to shop more ethically) that were a little fresher and younger. This outfit reflects a couple of those pieces:

Full body shot

Close up of the stripe detail

Also, I chopped off my hair! I've had long-ish hair since I met my husband at the end of 2010, so it was time for a change. He helped me not have a panic attack, even though it was my idea! I miss my hair a little bit, but it's definitely quicker to wash now!

Face close up; not the best hair shot!

I have a couple of posts in draft mode, so hopefully I won't disappear for another month! I have to also share how our puppy feels about my blogging:

Clearly someone isn't a fan of this blog!

Hope everyone is having a great summer!