Thrifty Thursday’s – Nordstrom Clearance Sale

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Grab your wallets!  There are some great sales going on at the moment and you don’t want to miss them!  Many of you know that I LOVE shopping at Nordstrom.  The store, online, Nordstrom Rack…all versions of Nordstrom – I love them!  So, I had to share the news about their Clearance Sale with many items currently discounted 40% off or more!  Here are some of the things I’m in love with, which also happen to be office appropriate:

Dollhouse Trench coat // Lush Print Top // BP Floral dress // Tildon Sequin Skirt // Halogen Polka Dot Midi Skirt // Sole Society Tote // BP Trapeze Tote // Gabby Skye Dress // Jessica Simpson Heels

All of the items above are $60 or less!!  Pretty amazing, right?!  And, okay, fine…so you can’t really wear the sequin skirt to work.  But you can probably wear it to your office holiday party!  Plus, it’s just super cute and fun, so I had to include it. 🙂

Anyway, I am most excited about these Steve Madden Leopard Print heels. I’ve coveted these heels for months now, but didn’t really care to pay full price.  So, I was ecstatic to see that they were 40% off!  Now, you know that I usually do not even look at something unless it’s 60% off or more, but these I just HAD to have. 🙂  Can you blame me?!  By the way, didn’t know that leopard print is the new neutral?!

Screen Shot 2014-11-06 at 3.20.01 PMI own a super old pair of Nine West leopard print heels that are in dire need of replacing.  Here are some of the ways I have styled them, should you decide to get a pair of the Steve Madden ones above.

My Photo Grid collage

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Screen Shot 2014-11-06 at 3.24.04 PMI have to tell you, it was SO hard to not buy everything I loved!!  Hopefully I can live vicariously through you, so please tell me about all of the amazing things you score by leaving a comment down below. 🙂  Meanwhile, check out my daily outfits on Instagram, source of inspiration on Pinterest, and latest musings and retweets on Twitter.

Until next time!  Stay Chic!

Chic’s Weeknight Recipes

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I’ve been in somewhat of a cooking rut lately, so I took to Pinterest to identify recipes that might help inspire me in the kitchen. I know that food isn’t related to fashion, but I’m also a momma, so don’t be surprised if non-fashion-related posts creep into my blog from time to time!  Anywho, I found some recipes I thought would be worth trying, so I wanted to share them with you!!

If you’re like me, there is very little time to experiment with cooking, cook on the fly, or spend more than 30 minutes on a dish during the week.  Also, in my case, the kids are usually starving the minute we walk in the door, so I have little to no time to prepare something before they take to the snack drawer like a bunch of savages!  Here, I’ve identified some recipes that either take very little prep time OR that you can leave cooking in the crock pot and have ready to serve when you walk in the door!  Take a look at some of the ones I found (click on the pics or blog names for actual recipes):

1.  Stuffed Zucchini via Katrina Runs for Food.  This one says it requires 30 minutes of prep time for the stuffing and 30 minutes for the zucchini boats, but I think I will prepare them currently (bake the zucchini while prepping the stuffing) and save 30 minutes.  I’ll try it and keep you posted!

stuffedzucchini2_thumbPhoto: Katrina Runs for Food

2.  Lime and Coconut Chicken via Pinned by Dani – I LOVE cilantro, and although my hubby doesn’t, he might eat this if I use a smaller amount…perhaps.  Maybe??  Anyhow, lime and coconut chicken (add cilantro) with a side of basmati rice sounds amazing, doesn’t it?

lime coconut chickenPhoto: Pinned by Dani

3.  Beef Stir Fry via Fitness Magazine. This one looks pretty easy and tasty!  My boys all love Mexican-inspired food, so this one would likely be a hit.

101697172_wPhoto: Fitness Magazine

4.  Turkey Chili via Skinny Taste.  This one’s claim to fame is that it is kid-friendly, so hopefully my kids will become fans of it as well.  I’ll likely serve with tortilla chips and maybe a dallop of sour cream. Crock pot, here I come!

crock-pot-kid-friendly-turkey-chiliPhoto: SkinnyTaste.com

5.  15-Minute Lasagna via Kevin and Amanda. A 15-minute dish is so necessary in my household, so this will likely be one of the first recipes I will try.  I may also substitute the lasagna noodles for spinach and cheese ravioli’s.  I like to try to find ways to sneak veggies into my dishes, and the boys don’t seem to mind veggies stuffed in ravioli. 🙂

easiest-15-minute-one-pot-skillet-stovetop-lasagna-16Photo: KevinandAmanda.com

I’d love to hear about some of the recipes you depend on to get you through the week.  Feel free to comment below with ideas for me.  I’m in dire need of some recipe revamping!!

Until next time!  Stay Chic!

Thrifty Thursday’s – Off-Season Shopping

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I’ve written a couple of posts now about off-season shopping; so, it should come to no surprise that I’m a big fan of it and therefore dedicating an entire new post to it! I love ‘off-season’ – or ‘end-of-the season’ – shopping for many reasons, but one of the main reasons is that, for many seasonal items, it’s the only way I can sometimes afford to buy certain pieces. Admittedly, it can be difficult to purchase a wool sweater in the middle of the summer, in 90 degree weather with unbearable humidity. But, when fall and winter rolls around, boy will you be excited you only paid $5 for a $50 sweater when everyone else is paying retail out of necessity!

Here’s one of the sweaters I bought at the peak of summer this year. I only paid $5 for it at the Gap! Earlier this week, it was pretty chilly in the morning, so I was glad to have a new, warm and cozy sweater to throw on.

wpid-wp-1414714042426.jpegSweater: Gap, similar here // 7 for All Mankind Skinny Jeans: Fab’rik Boutique, here // Kate Spade Boots: Von Maur, similar here // Clutch: Forever 21, similar here.

Around that same time, I happened to visit the outlet mall and found a trench coat that was deeply discounted. I only paid $20 for it at the Banana Republic outlet. I styled it over my $5 sweater outfit and called it a day!  I also added a pair of Kate Spade rain boots that I purchased at Von Maur for $40 (also majorly discounted!!), and a $6 clutch – okay, maybe it’s a make-up bag – from Forever 21.  So, every piece in this outfit was purchased on clearance; except the jeans, which were a gift from Fab’rik Boutique!  Thank you, Fab’rik!!

wpid-wp-1414713946362.jpegSweater: Gap, similar here// Trench Coat: Banana Republic Outlet, similar here // 7 for All Mankind Skinny Jeans: Fab’rik Boutique, here // Kate Spade Boots: Von Maur, similar here // Clutch: Forever 21, similar here.

Here’s another piece I purchased on major clearance (jacket was originally $198 and I paid $15) from Ann Taylor. I paired it with a skirt and pair of wedges that had been sitting in my closet for over a year, and a $12 necklace I found on clearance at Banana Republic.  Moral of the story: Great outfits happen to those who wait for end-of-the season sales (or any clearance sale, really, haha)! 😉

wpid-wp-1414713928180.jpegBlazer: Ann Taylor, similar here // Top: Forever 21: similar here // Skirt: Phillip Lim for Target, here // Tassel Necklace: Banana Republic, similar here // Nude Wedges: Forever 21, similar here

Buying off-season is a great way to purchase items you know you will eventually want or need.  You do, however, end up having clothes around the house that aren’t currently in use. My hubby seems to see this as a problem. The solution I proposed: Build me a bigger closet! Just saying…problem solved. 💁

What are some items you have purchased off-season?? Comment below or tag me on Instagram when you wear them!

Until next time! Stay Chic!