Tag: frugalista

Utility Vest, Jacket and Get Yo’ Fitness On Week 4

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I think I have an olive green utility vest/jacket obsession.  I recently decided I HAD TO HAVE both a utility vest and utility jacket.  Both in olive green.  So, off I went.  I hunted both down and now am the proud owner of both items, with not too big of a dip in my bank account!

The first item I found was the utility jacket.  I first saw it on my friend Sarah of ShopsSRJ.  She wore it so casually and described it as the perfect ‘throw on and go’ jacket that, well, I had to have it!  So, I searched and searched and found the one below on eBay for $8.

Utility jacket, http://chicinacademia.com

Details: Jacket, eBay, similar here and here; Dress, Gap, here; Shoes, Plato’s Closet, similar here; Necklace, Banana Republic, similar here; Bracelets, Forever 21, here; Bag, Louis Vuitton, buy used here.

I love the length, the slouchy sleeves, and the fact that it’s light enough to wear during the summer.  Layers are important during the summer, particularly when frequenting air-conditioned places.  This outfit I wore to a coffee date with girlfriends, followed by a little bit of shopping.  Notice I’m wearing slip-on shoes and clothing that is easily removed in case I need to try on clothes and shoes in a jiffy!  A girl’s gotta think ahead! 😉

Next, I hunted down the utility vest I could not get my mind off.  I found it during a grocery shopping trip to Target, because you know I can’t grocery shop at Target without perusing the clothing/shoes/accessories sections of the stores, haha.  So there is was, in its $30 glory.  They happened to have a $10 off coupon available that day, and I also used my Target Red Card, so in all, I saved $11.50.  Not too shabby!

Utility vest, http://chicinacademia.com

Utility vest, http://chicinacademia.com

Details: Dress, old from Target, similar here and here; Vest, Target, here; Necklace, Walmart, similar here and here; Shoes, Michael Kors via TJ Maxx, similar here and here; Bag, TJ Maxx, similar here and here; Belt, Altuzarra for Target, similar here and here.

I wore this outfit to the office and my office mates seemed to like it as much as I did!  I’ve pinned some other combinations on Pinterest in case you’re interested in buying and styling it other ways.  Find me on Pinterest here.

Finally, don’t forget to follow my workout updates for the Get Yo’ Fitness On 6-week challenge here on the blog!  Week 4’s workouts are as follows:

Summer Program_W4D1 Exercises

Summer Program_W4D1 Summary

Summer Program_W4D2 Exercises

Summer Program_W4D2 Summary

Summer Program_W4D3 Exercises

Summer Program_W4D3 Summary

If you’re just now learning about this challenge, then look up workouts in my search bar to the right above!  All 4 weeks will pop up in your search.

Hope everyone has a fantastic week!  If you are at all inspired by these outfits, follow along on Instagram for daily outfit posts, here.  Don’t forget to leave comments, suggestions, tips, etc below in the comments section.  I look forward to hearing from you all!

Until next time!  Stay ‘Chic’!

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!

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!