3 great money-saving tips when it comes to fashion

If there is one thing I am good GREAT at... it's saving money on fashion. Luckily, I have that "thrift" gene in my blood because I most definitely have the patience and discipline when shopping! lol I figured I'd share some of my money-saving tips when it comes to fashion.

1. Shop THRIFT

Thrift stores are full of hidden gems! Yes, they can be time consuming but well worth the money saved.  We all know that "time is money" so it helps to know what to look for when you hit up the thrift stores. 

Thrift stores are great for:

Blazers - I paid $4 for the blazer I'm wearing below at Goodwill. There was an assortment of sizes and colors and styles... the possibilities are endless! Blazers at Goodwill sell for about $4 here locally, compared to the mall where you can pay upwards $40+ for ONE.

Pants - I don't even own a pair of work pants that didn't come from Goodwill. lol I've bought pants there by Old Navy, Banana Republic, and New York & Company. The "career" pants at thrift stores are usually in pretty good shape since people tend to take better care of their work clothes. (Plus it's not like you're doing too many strenuous tasks in your office attire) lol

Accessories - Belts, scarves, and unique jewelry are always fun to shop for when thrifting! It's so neat to score a vintage piece for a deal! 

$4 blazer from Goodwill

 2. Shop eBay or Craigslist for high-end fashion

Yes, the purse below is mine. :) I've wanted a Louis Vuitton for so long... I'm talking years. I thoroughly researched and studied the bag and it's history inside and out before I finally bought one. (Well, technically my husband bought it for me as a surprise, with my approval of course lol) The purse below sells brand new for over $1,000. We got mine (this one below), basically new, for $325. Yes, it is authentic. 

Websites like eBay and Craigslist are a great way to score a steal on high end items like designer purses, sunglasses, etc BUT you must be extremely knowledgeable about what you're purchasing. These websites are FULL of fakes and very well made high quality replicas. And yes, people are constantly selling them for the price of an authentic one. It's messed up but that's the real world.

If you know what you're looking for and you study the product inside and out, you can score an amazing deal on an authentic item with confidence! You don't know how much I'm in love with my Louis Vuitton bag and I'm beyond proud that we only paid for a third of what the bag costs. lol

3. Shop discount stores like Marshalls & TJ Maxx

While thrifting is great for basics to your wardrobe, places like Marshall's and TJ Maxx are great for the seasonal trends in your closet. I love to shop for cute tops and shoes! (Marshalls is my go-to for shoes! It's like a shoe paradise lol)

Another great steal at these places are designer sunglasses! I bought these Oscar De La Renta sunglasses at Steinmart for only $12! 

Well, I hope these 3 tips were helpful :) If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer! Feel free to email or tweet me.

Happy shopping (and saving!)

25 ways to wear a scarf :)

OOTD - and 25 ways to wear a scarf

Scarf - (old) Forever 21 maybe? 

Shirt - Forever 21 

Belt - Goodwill ($2)

Cardigan - JC Penney (clearance for $5!)

Jeans - Levi's Curve ID (bold)

Boots - Ross

I found this really cool video on how to tie a scarf. If you have a YouTube account, I strongly suggest you follow Wendy's Lookbook. She's very informative on fashion and style.

Happy Monday!
Have you seen the pictures from my trip to New Mexico? They're breathtaking!
Be my tweep!

Beautiful New Mexico

My family and I went on a short ski trip to Red River, New Mexico last weekend. I love the different landscapes in each state here in the United States but I must say that New Mexico is one of my favorites. Sure, a lot of it is flat but the mountains are absolutely breathtaking. I'm from Dallas and if you are not familiar... it's pretty flat here. lol Dallas is beautiful in it's own way, of course, but I can't help but stare in awe at the majestic mountains of northern New Mexico.

This is my hubby and I at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. It is 650 ft above the Rio Grande and the 5th highest bridge in the United States! 

These signs are originals from Route 66. It was so neat driving by them!

I took these pictures on our way home. Both of these were taken in Red River, NM. I was a nervous wreck because a bad snowstorm hit the night before we left and as you can see, the roads were still wet. Yes, that is a curve on a cliff in the first picture... lol I almost needed a Xanax to make it out of town. I don't do well with cliffs and cars. I hate the sense of the lack of control!!

We had a great trip and I am grateful to return home all in one piece!

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On another note - we came home to find that we received our wedding pictures in the mail!! I'll post some of my favorites on here this week :)

Woohoo! Ski Vacation!

I am SO FREAKIN' EXCITED! I'm finally done with work for the week and soon I will be headed to New Mexico for the next 4 days for a little ski vacation! I've been plenty of times but it's the hubby's first time. :) I'm so excited for him! 

I'll be posting pictures of our adventure along the way to Twitter. Follow me!

@lindsaycene (or just click that little link to the right) :)

..old school..

 Lil' ol sassy me :)

 2008

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

My simply perfect Valentine's Day

I hope everyone had a Valentine's Day full of love! Whether it was spent with a significant other, family, friends, or maybe even just the one who loves you unconditionally... your dog. :)

I've been with my husband for over 5 years (only married for a month though) and this was the simplest, yet most perfect Valentine's Day. There were no grandiose gifts or meticulously planned surprises, just a simple day to share our left and it was not much different than any other day. We didn't even buy Valentine's Day cards! lol

My husband surprised me at work by having roses delivered to me.

So on my lunch break, I decided to go find him a small, meaningful gift.

I bought this beautiful figurine of a man and woman holding each other and at the bottom is etched "To have and to hold." It was just perfect for our first Valentine's Day as a married couple.

On the way home from work he called and asked, "Do you want me to cook for your what I planned for Valentine's Day... orrrrrrrrrrrrr we can just order pizza. It's up to you!" 

I chose:

We're just perfect for each other :)

I ended the night by making one of my favorite desserts - perfect for Valentine's Day.

We had the most perfect night just staying in... 

Ahh, the simple things :)

Makeup Storage Dilemma

Currently, about a quarter of my makeup collection sits disorganized in a medium sized gift bag left over from our wedding. Hey, it's pretty!! But it's driving me crazy having to dig for the make up I need daily! I am not a morning person so I've been trying to think of a clever way to store on top of the bathroom sink all the items I can use for a "go to" look for any given day. That's one foundation, one blush, one eyeliner, one mascara... well, you get the point. I am such a wreck in the mornings and to simplify my routine I want to come up with a creative way to store just the essentials so they are easily attainable when I'm half asleep! 

My husband is not a fan of clutter... well, neither am I really. I'm thinking about maybe 3 medium glass bowls or cups and labeling them "Eyes/Lips/Face" and separating the basic products like that. But I until I decide on the method I'll go with - here are some ideas I found online :)

 An essential "make up tray" via Style Scoop. I really like this actually!

via

Maybe something like this... but simplified!

 This is a great idea via Kandee Johnson! (FYI - If you're not following her blog or on YouTube... you're missing out!)

It's a magnetic board she created and she glued little magnets to each of her favorite daily products.

 via

Just a simple mesh basket you can find in the "office" section of your local Walmart or Target. Not my favorite idea but worth a look.

 via

 This is a really cute idea. I'm not in a sorority or anything but a cursive L would be so pretty! This is definitely girly and would at least look nice on display.

via

All the basics...

I'm really leaning on the Eyes/Lips/Face glass bowls and keeping it separated and down to the basics. I think that'll be easiest in the mornings! If you have any great ideas comment below to share with everyone else! Let me know your preferred storage... whether it's your current method or what you hope to accomplish! I'll let you know as soon as I get my organized just how I want :)

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!

OOTD - and where's your favorite place to shop for clothes??

So I posted before (check it out here) about how I've learned to use tools like Pinterest and other blogs to create style inspiration and how it helps me to pick my outfits. It helps me to look at individual pieces and try to recreate the outfit in my fashion out of what I already have in my closet:

 If you are the kind of person (like me!) who has a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear... look again! I've had all these pieces for a while but never thought to put them together this way :) That's my current goal - create new outfits I've never worn out of the clothes I already own. 

My clothes (already in my closet):
 Cardigan - Gap (thrifted)
Button-up Shirt - Old Navy (thrifted)
Necklace - Forever 21
Jeans - Charlotte Russe
Shoes - Ross

I love thrifting - it's like treasure hunting! But sometimes I'm not in the mood for it... that's when I turn to Ross, Marshalls, Old Navy, Target and other like stores :) Oh, department stores are great too (when they have sales!)

Where's your favorite place to shop??