The Behind-the-Scenes Look

Let’s have some fun today.

I often receive some questions about my glasses, my clothes, my jewelry, my shoes and what not … so I thought I would share my “secrets” when it comes to affordable styles and whether or not keeping up with trends is worth it for a non-size 10 body. 🙂

**Please note, I am not receiving any compensation for any of my comments by any store or company. These are simply my opinions and advice. But if they want to compensate me then let’s talk!! :)**

Clothing: I rarely spend over $30 on one piece of clothing. The few times I have it has been on a coat or something that is a timeless piece of clothing.

• I primarily shop at Cato’s, JC Penny’s, Ross and Walmart. Yes, Walmart. If I need a basic white tee then I’d rather get one for $4.88 then spend $15 or more because it has a name brand attached to it that no one is going to see. Thanks to switching to a capsule wardrobe, I have significantly cut my wardrobe down to items that I actually wear and enjoy wearing on a daily basis. If I find a top I like for $10 or $12 then I will buy it in several colors as I know will get more wear out of them. Like the shirt that I have on today is a sleeveless, collared, buttoned down that I bought in the summer for $9.99. I am wearing the white one but I also purchased a gray, turquoise and blue one (from Kohl’s). This is how I am wearing it for “Fall.” 

I paired it with a lightweight gray cardigan that I picked up Marshall’s 2 years ago (a rare find for me), a scarf bought 6 years ago at TJ Maxx, and jeans from Cato for $24.99.

What do I spend my money on??: I only spend more than $30 on quality makeup (because it goes on my face) and purses (because I carry that every single day).

• Ulta and Sephora are my makeup friends. I go there about once a quarter and get what I need. It’s a happy day and yay for reward points! For my lipstick/lipgloss, I usually pick up something from Drew Barrymore’s Flower brand at Walmart. I love it and while it’s on the pricier side for Walmart I like the feel and the smell.
• For my purses … I have sold and given away a ton of purses in the last 10 years. When I was in my early 20s, I would change my purse to go with every outfit. Sometimes that meant I was carrying a different purse on Sunday night than what I carried Sunday morning to church. Seriously. Then in my late 20s, I decided to get a purse of every color … almost. But they weren’t really quality purses. It was more about the style. I like big bags … and I cannot lie. I had few COACH purses but all of them were purchased at one of their outlet stores at a deep discount, except for two that were given to me unexpectedly as gifts which I will always keep. Now in my 30s, I appreciate true quality over quantity. So I will set aside money and purchase a purse that I know will last me. But I am selective in the style and what not. I still look for a deep discount on the price and adore shopping in the outlet stores for these finds. However, I still often find a steal at TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross, and Amazon.com.

Glasses vs. Contacts: I have worn glasses since I was 14 years old. I was finally able to purchase contacts in my 20s. Contacts are expensive!! It cost me $80 with the help of insurance to buy a 6mos supply this past January. I wear them sparingly and still have 3 pairs left! Thanks to Zenni Optical, I have been able to afford multiple pairs of glasses to spice up my look. My latest pair of glasses cost a whopping $11.95. Yes, that is the right price. It’s amazing what you can get when a brand isn’t attached to it. The most expensive thing I have purchased from their site has been my sunglasses … but it was worth it. Here are few of my glasses …

 

Trends: I don’t consider myself a trendy person. I just have things that I like. I mean I still wear turtlenecks when given the chance, much to the chagrin of my darling sister-in-law. I know what I like! LOL. But I think I only have one left in my closet since the great wardrobe purge. I don’t try to fit into a look just because it is the trend. I stick to what looks good and fits well for me. I did shock myself a week ago with a purchase of a dress with “cold shoulders”. Perhaps if I had had more time I would have looked for something else but I needed a dressier dress for an elections return party for the next night and I really don’t like shopping for clothes. I was short on time and it fit my criteria … it fit well, looked fairly good and was priced well at $27.99. I bought it at Ross and paired it with a pair of Mary Jane pumps that I had also bought at Ross two years ago. I’m going to guess the shoes were $19.99 but I can’t remember. Here’s the look …

 

 

Jewelry: I do have a few really nice pieces that I have either bought myself with birthday money or that have been given to me as gifts. My two special rings will go to my nieces – well, one will at least go to Raelyn and if I have another niece then she’ll get the other one – when they turn 18 or 21. I’d rather they get the rings while I am still living instead of waiting till I kick it … hahaha. You’re probably thinking, “but what if you have a daughter?” Well, I don’t really have any plans to have children but should that occur then she’ll get any jewelry her daddy gives me.

• I love me some costume jewelry. Cato’s is a great place for that! Yes, Charming Charlie is good too but the prices and overall the quality are better at Cato’s especially in the clearance section. Just check the clasps on the necklaces before purchasing. I also like Burlington Coat Factory for their jewelry as well.
• If you want to buy a quality piece of jewelry like some nice studs but aren’t ready to fork out some major money then watch the ads for Kay’s around the holidays … all throughout the year … as they often have earrings, bracelets, necklaces or a ring ranging from $49-$99.
• Don’t forget about Etsy for unique finds as well. I have a rose gold druzy ring that I love …  SouthernWire is the name of the store where I bought this ring for $29.50. WAY more than I would normally spend for jewelry but it’s handmade in the USA and custom to my size. I just love that. Another recent Etsy purchase that I wear pretty much every single day is my “DeeDee” necklace. I wanted something that spoke to my being an aunt. So I found this little shop called Felicity and Bliss and purchased a double-sided engraved necklace for $30, including shipping. I had one side engraved with my aunt name “DeeDee” and the other side with the verses I pray for my babies.

Shoes: I’m afraid I am not much help here in the way of tips as I am not a big shoe person. Shoes and I don’t really get along. They are one of the first things to come off as soon as I walk in the front door of my home. I have a short, wide foot that makes finding the right fit very hard to the point that most of my shoes are the correct width but too long. 🙂 So I tend to just buy shoes from Payless, Shoe Show, Shoe Carnival and The Shoe Department. I just don’t put any effort or money into buying good shoes. I probably should as my dad as always said, “Your shoes fall apart the first time you wear them in the rain!” The most expensive pair I have besides my tennis shoes are my pair of Clarks Wallebees that I finally replaced 2 years ago for the one’s I had been wearing since my senior year in HS. If you can wear a shoe for 12 years or more that’s a quality shoe! I can justify spending more than $50 for that. The only other thing I could imagine spending more than $25 on would be a pair of cowboy boots. I eventually want to get me a pair of those. So we’ll see. Other than that if it were acceptable to be barefoot I might try that instead. 🙂

Miscellaneous: I color my own hair which saves me a ton of money and the fact that I am in the process of growing my hair out means I am saving money by not getting my hair cut. Ha. Also, I paint my own fingernails. They are always painted but I do them myself. I buy good polish like OPI and Essie which keeps my nails from becoming too damaged. And every few months or so I will get a pedicure. For my perfume, I like Kate Spade Twirl and The Beat by Burberry but I love purchasing the full-size tester bottles off of either eBay or here for $25-$30. I don’t need the $80-$100 gift sets with body wash and lotion. Just don’t need them.

So that’s basically how I get “my look”. As you can see, it’s nothing special. If you are able to afford name brand items then that’s wonderful. If you aren’t, that’s ok too. It’s just about knowing what you like, what you look and feel good in … then wearing it. Some days that means I take more effort with my appearance and other days that means I am wearing a camo pullover. Either way, I am me … and that makes me happy. 🙂  Oh … and no look is complete without a loving puppy! My Knightley has grown so much in the last year!!!

 

I hope you found this post interesting and enjoyable. Feel free to shoot me some questions if you have any. Most of all don’t forget to clothe yourself in the garment of praise (Isaiah 61:3). Be ready to bless someone with a word of encouragement (1 Thessalonians 5:11) and practice smiling as it may turn someone’s day around (Proverbs 17:22).

I love you all!