Sweater Dress

I am not a pencil thin girl, but I have not given up on looking good in a sweater dress. I have tried on probably 30+ sweater dresses since last winter (when the became popular). I have tried on every blend of fabric - stretchy, non-stretchy, knit, cotton, crocheted, jersey...no luck - they grab in the "problem" (butt, legs, stomach...) areas or make me look like I put on a paper sack. Well this past Sunday I went shopping with my best friends and their mom and saw a sweater dress in turquoise (ZTA colors) that looked like it might be a good fit and I was right! Holy Moly! A sweater dress that actually fits and in the best color ever! It was more than I normally would pay for a dress but I had a $15 off coupon so it was in my dress price range. I love it! What I love about turquoise is that it looks great paired with brown or black so I can have 2 different looks with it. Also, I found the cutest workout pants with a folded pink rim around the top and I got the only cropped pair in the store so they were $8! I was going to pay $25 for them because I loved them and I had coupon but they rang up for $8! I practically screamed in the store...I couldn't believe my luck. I never shop at Express because their prices are over my budget usually or I could buy twice as much with my money at other stores so I skip over it...but it was my lucky day! These pictures are off the Express website...it's not me :)

Black Friday 2010

This year I have already purchased/made everyones gift by mid November so I didn't NEED to go shopping for Black Friday. In fact I was making up stuff I needed just to go. I took a few orders from friends and family and met my sister in Prattville at 4:45 AM meaning I got up at 3:30 AM to be there on time. It's family tradition to us to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving and so I have to go with family. My dad and family started this about 12+ years ago! It's crazy to think we have been doing it that long. We are usually in Georgia with the entire Whitehead side but this year my little family stayed home to be with my husband's family.

We get to Wal-Mart and find out people have been there since 10 PM the night before for the TV's and Laptops! That is crazy yet awesome to me. I would do it if I had like 3 girlfriends with me...just stay up all night leaning against the cereal talking about everything. However I still got what I was going for...Shark Steam Mop! WOW! I used it last night and it made mopping fun! Who knew?! Plus my floors sparkle and it requires no chemicals! Good Buy Swifter wet jet...you have been replaced. I also got Bailey some new pajamas $4 for the set! Pretty awesome deal. Also I got a candle set for $5! They smell Amazing.

Next on to Office Depot for ???? I have to keep it a secret. They did not open until 6 and my sister had to get that item and she was only about the 15th person in line. I did not want to wait and miss out on my Target deals so I went solo. Target is such a big store to conquer by your lonesome but I was on my way. I wanted the 3 sets of the 700 count sheets, the 7 princess doll set, binoculars, Tom Tom, 32" TV, Princess Game, Whack-A-Mole Game, Chenille blanket, and some $1.99 movies. Well they were sold out of the king size sheets so I could only get 1 set of queens for us, I got the princess set, and both games...everything else was sold out! I looked everywhere and couldn't find the stuff! On a side note - the Prattville Target has the sweetest people ever working there! I must have had 7 people help me find things...most of which were sold out. They were so nice to have been up all night long and there was no wait in the lines. Now I know I have to go to Target close to the opening of time or they will be sold out - I got there at 5:30 and they opened at 4:00.

Next I went and picked up my sister - good news she got her item! Woo hoo! Then we went to Belk and JCPenny for some major steals! My sister went home and then I met up with two great friends for breakfast to recoup and head out again! I went to Shoestation, Bath & Body Works, Hobby Lobby, and Joanns. I made it home around 11:00 AM in time for lunch. The next day I went back to Target and used my $10 gift card they gave me the day before to purchase the chenille blanket I couldn't find on Friday. It was another successful Black Friday!

Crafting on a Budget

For the past two weeks Blake has been looking for a job. The 3 month orders he was going to get were not funded. It was a shock at first but we are doing great. Nothing is in our hands and I can't control anything so I'm trying not to worry about it. In the mean time we have been cutting out our spending. We are bagging our lunches, eating dinners at home, spending more time at home, accomplishing more projects, I dyed my hair brown to avoid the $80 highlights due this week and in another 8 weeks after that... It's been good changes and we are adjusting. It's unfortunate because he loves flying and there isn't anything available in that field right now so he is going to go back to the banking industry or some other job until pilot school (fingers crossed and prayers...lots of them). So over the past 2 weeks I have deleted my emails about the "new clothes that just arrived this week!" I have cut back on my trips to Michaels, HL, and JoAnns and I am making things out of fabrics and materials I already own. I have made 2 elephant stuffed animals with ribbon tags, 3 bibs (still in progress), 2 Christmas shirts for Bailey, and painted a few other things with paint I already had. I have also been using the mess out of that cricket! Wow! I knew I would love that thing once I started using it. I didn't know it could make those cupcake flags until last week so I made 40 "S" flags for the baby shower I am co-hosting this Saturday for my good friend who is having TWINS. I had been busy knocking out projects for that as well (Painted Letters, 2 diaper cakes, 40 elephant cookies, 40 cupcakes...). And then there is the monogram machine still sitting in the box in the corner of my craft/spare bedroom. I use it to organize my cricket creations...so it is getting some use :) So it's not so bad not having money to do things as long as you fill your time up with things you love like family and craft projects. Bailey loves "helping" me with crafts so I'm trying to do some things she can "help" me with.

Christmas Shopping has Begun

I love love love Christmas! I love thinking about the perfect gift and finding it -- especially when it is on SALE! I have already began Christmas shopping for many reasons: #1 It spreads out the finances #2 It isn't rushed so you buy exactly what you want for that person #3 Gives plenty of excuses to go shopping. I do have ONE huge problem with buying presents this early: I can't wait to give it to them! I am horrible! If I know it is something they will love and want then I want them to have is ASAP! I mean why wait, right?!? So to keep from giving the gifts I like to wrap them really cute so that it looks decorative and super cute. Also, I love to do gift themes. I like to start with one present and add to it within the price range for each person. I love Christmas so I tend to spend a lot on each sibling, parent, niece, and nephew. Blake and I don't really give each other anything and to be honest we don't get Bailey much either because she gets so much from her grandparents, aunts, and uncles that we just get one of two things to have wrapped under the tree and a fabulously filled stocking for Christmas morning. This year I have already bought her like 3 things for her stocking that she is going to love! I found a princess tin lunchbox/purse, a princess water bottle, and I pre-ordered Beauty and the Beast on DVD. Yay! I will get her one bigger present to wrap and that is it for her besides other nick-knacks for the stocking like chap stick, candy... Having grandparents that spoil your child is nice but she gets so much stuff that we don't want to add to it. Meiko also gets a present - treats, treats, and more treats....maybe even a new frisbee or ball.

Another reason I like to do my Christmas shopping early is so I can soak in the true meaning of Christmas and all the things associated with the season. I love to decorate the tree with Bailey and Blake and hang the special ornaments while listening to Christmas music and drinking hot chocolate/apple cider. I love to go to the special Christmas plays, events and parties. I love to throw one or two Christmas parties each year to see my closest friends and eat sugar filled cookies. And if you have all your gift shopping done then you have time to do all these things verses rushing around store to store finding things while dealing with the horrible traffic and scrooges out there. So yes its 95 degrees outside and I am thinking about Christmas but I love it! I am truly blessed to live in the USA and have the freedom to worship God anytime and I get the whole month of December to dwell on the month Jesus was born.

Shopping Trip

Me and my shopping gal Robyn planned to do a full out shopping day in Birmingham over two months ago and this past Saturday we kept our date. We started at Old Time Pottery then Home Goods and then the Galleria. We got some fabulous deals and purchased some awesome pieces for the fall. We went into Delia to check it out - I think I haven't shopped there in 10 years. They said if you just try on a pair of jeans you will get $10 off your purchase. Robyn found a shirt she wanted so we both tried on the jeans for fun - after the 8th pair I finally broke down and bought some "skinny" jeans for my very un-skinny legs and "ghetto" booty. I try to hide my backside as much as I can in clothes because I feel like it just gives the wrong impression - "HEY!!! LOOK AT ME!!! I'm HUGE!!!" When I put them on and looked in the mirror I thought, "Wow! You look like you are in Jr. High trying to get the boys attention." If I would have worn those jeans in Jr. High and had the body I have now...well, I wouldn't have had to worry about finding a date to the dance. So after much stretching and lunges in the dressing room I decided I "needed" them for the fall to wear with my boots. I will probably only wear them with long shirts unless I am out with my husband because I don't mean to set off mixed signals. OTP had some awesome stuff from Belk - I bought a pretty blue stoneware casserole dish for $9, a matching platter for $4 - I bought the green one from Belk last Christmas and paid $20 on sale and they had them for $4! I was so excited. They also had canister sets in the same colors for $15! Holy Moly! I was excited! We scored a few more good deals there then headed out to Home Goods - they had such fabulous things but nothing I "needed". We probably went into 30+ stores at the Galleria but didn't even touch the big box stores since we have those back home.

Bailey's Backpack for Pre-K. I had the lunchbox already and it fit perfectly in the holder.

We shopped non-stop for 7 hours excluding the two bathroom breaks and driving between stores...all-in-all it was a very successful shopping trip. I love shopping with Robyn because we do not hold each other back and get what we are going for. Dream Job: Personal Shopper & Party Planner

July 4th weekend

It feels like the past two weeks have flown by. July 4th weekend was a three day weekend. I could have had plans but decided to make it very low key. To start it off on the perfect note I went to the library and grabbed a couple of FREE movies for the weekend then we went with Blake's little sister to see Toy Story 3. Now what I did not know is that it was going to cost $12 a ticket because it was in 3D. I would have waited for the 4:00 showing to watch it the regular way but since we were already there with my purse crammed with 2 Share & Tear bags of M&M's (peanut and regular) along with 3 bottled drinks: diet coke, mountain dew, and sprite (don't judge me...so I like to save money. I still bought their buttered $7 large popcorn!) there was no turning around. It was such a good movie but I do not prefer the 3D because Bailey didn't like wearing the glasses and it made the movie have a dark tint and the 3D effect wasn't enough to pay $5 extra a ticket. Also kitty cat came with us (see picture) and they did not charge for her to enter...thank goodness! And Yes we did take home the bottom two inches of that popcorn bucket - I spent $7 on that thing we were not going to waste that high cholesterol goodness.

The rest of the day we stayed at home in play clothes playing with legos, dolls, and markers while I finished sewing Bailey's new dress! I had a hard time deciding on the color to accent the hot pink but the paisley turquoise pattern turned out great. I also made Bailey a zebra pillow to match her curtains with the left over material - pillows are like the easiest things to make in the sewing world.

On Saturday we took a mini-trip to see Blake's family down in Brewton for a pool party. On Sunday I met up with my shopping gal Robyn to hit the 4th of July sales where I bought some princess fabric that was already smocked at the top. I thought it was on sale but it wasn't! Thank goodness I had a coupon. I didn't realize it was .50 cents an inch (total was $17 but I had a 40% coupon)! I said "make it a yard" without looking...that would have cut the cost by $4.00...oh well. At Dillard's they ALWAYS have a fabulous 4th of July shoe sale. While other people are at cookouts - I am at Dillard's finding my beloved shoes. I was beginning to think I wouldn't find my "special" shoes but then on the top rack in box marked size 9 I opened it and there they were...if only they were my size instead of a 9 AND THEY WERE! (who's getting chills!!) They were size 8's in the wrong box - the heavens opened up and the angles were singing "hallelujah, hallelujah...." I put them on and felt like the "hot" girl (this doesn't happen often). I looked in the mirror and it was like they were destined to be mine! They were Nina's with a 5 point crown marked down from $60 to $40 with 30% off making my total $32.00! Mission Accomplished!

On Monday I made Bailey her princess dress with the fabric I purchased - wow! It took all of 3 minutes to make the actual dress and maybe 20 minutes total to do the straps. What's perfect about this material is that it is stretchy and I can adjust the straps or take them off and she could wear it as a skirt. I still have to make my sister-in-law her scrubs that I started on in January...they are coming! Sometimes I get an itch for sewing and this weekend was perfect for it.

Being Frugal 101

I have been wanting to do this post for some time now but wasn't quite ready to announce it/be held accountable. With Blake leaving in 2 days I have been thinking about my summer plans without him. Blake built Bailey a swing set to keep her occupied in the summer and away from the TV. My girl LOVES TV and I am right there too, but I know it isn't good to be so attached so this summer I am getting rid of cable! Yes, all 900+ channels. Now before you think I am going Amish on you - I will watch my 4 or 5 favorite shows on the Internet. I do that anyway or I record it on my DVR so really there will not be a difference except an extra $85 a month we will be saving. Plus Bailey has like 30+ DVD's so the girl won't go without her shows/movies.

So I was looking on the internet and found a blogger who posted this article:
http://www.blogher.com/year-not-shopping

I LOVE IT! I think I am a simplistic person. I don't buy trendy items that are only 'HOT' for the month. Every now and then I find a trend that I like but usually I back out of it or only spend a few bucks on it after researching sales. Plus I like to be a leader - not a follower and I don't like looking like everyone else. So I have decided that I am going to go through my closet and make up new outfits that I have not tried before to make my wardrobe stretch. Also, I am going to go through my pantry and make up meals with things I already have instead of buying randoms at the grocery store. I can do all this because Blake will not be here. I get half of my closet back so I can see all my clothes again instead of it all squeezed together. And since I don't have but myself and Bailey to feed I can make up new concoctions for dinner - if it fails then we can have cereal. Also when I find clothes that I truly do not wear I can donate it, have a swap party with the girls, or put it in my mom's yard sale later this month. I love having a yard sale twice a year because it keeps me from hoarding things that do not matter and it makes me think twice about buying 'stuff ' throughout the year because I like my house to be clutter free.

So starting May 7th - May 21st I am going to put a halt on spending. I know that is only 2 weeks, but that is pretty good considering I LOVE TO SHOP! I will find things in my house to do instead of watching TV and shopping. My birthday is May 22nd so I kind of want to buy a nice lounge chair for the back yard to lay out it while Bailey plays in her fort all summer. After these two weeks I will post how I did and see if I can do it again and even stretch it out. I just really want to save a lot of money this summer while he is gone so when he comes back we will have (1) down payment for a truck, (2) more $$ in savings, and (3) money to repair anything around the house before we sell it next year.

Sales

So lately I have been only shopping when I have a coupon or if there is a sale going on because I just refuse to pay full price for anything when I can wait and get a better deal. Last night we went to Ross and I wanted to look at their home stuff...what's new?! I love home stuff and would spend entirely too much money on decorating if I could. Anyway I am wanting to get a nice book to put all our wedding photos in instead of the proof albums. So I went and looked in their book section and found the best deals on books! I got the Southern Living Cookbook "Busy Moms Weeknight Favorites" for $5.99! It is regularly $25 plus like $8 Shipping. I have wanted this cookbook for a while because it is simple recipes but they taste/look so good. They also had these $35 baby books on sale for $4.99...I bought one of them in the Classic Winnie the Pooh because you can't find that anywhere and I'm going to save it for a friend who loves Classic Winnie the Pooh. But the other ones were adorable for little boys with a choo choo train on the front. I'm such a sucker when it comes to sales and I buy things I don't need, but it does save me money in the future. Well they didn't have a good selection of photo albums so we went to Kohl's and they had these long ones in different colors on sale for $15 marked down from $25 and I had a 15% off coupon for my purchase. I bought a brown one for the wedding pictures and a green one for the photos of the family. I think I will go back and get the orange one to hold just Bailey's pictures since she was born. I have the perfect place for them to sit on our entertainment center in the living room - it will be decorative and filled with memories for only $15 each! I will post some recipes from this book soon because they look oh so good!