Capes and Ponchos under $100

Finding a Good Cape

Topshop cape coat, $64 / Topshop brown cape, $57 / Sleeveless coat / MANGO cape coat, $61 / Ralph Lauren turtleneck top

Over the Labor Day weekend I made the stupid mistake of walking into Saks Fifth Avenue to do a little retail therapy. Relax, I didn’t spend a dime! I was in search of the perfect cape/poncho to wear for the fall. Upon nearing the ‘new arrivals’ section in the women’s department, the sales associate reminded me that Saks was having wonderful sales for the holiday weekend. I politely smiled and thanked her while secretly thinking “Ooh 20% off things that are still too expensive! I think I’m good.” Still, I like to look and do a bit of day dreaming.

I found several capes for the fall that I really liked. Of course they were all over $100 (and that was on the low end). I sighed a little sigh of contempt and walked away. I went home and started Googling capes that were a little closer to my budget and I found this adorable one ($38!) via ‘The Sweetest Thing’ blog! Usually, I can’t identify with the author, Emily, because her style is very expensive. Valentino is her go-to shoe and I just can’t afford anything close to that. This time however, I was pleasantly surprised!

Knowing me, I’ll probably end up browsing my TJ Maxx and Marshall’s to find capes even cheaper, but sometimes even I give up and pay the full price, especially if it’s good quality. If you’ve seen any capes that are a good price leave me a comment and link below!

Dress for the Occasion, Please!

I’ve been here in Texas for about a week and a half and am really enjoying my time out here! The people are wonderful, the Mexican food is to die for, and I’m starting to like the cowboy boots. However, there’s one thing that I’ve noticed here, and other places around the U.S., that really needs to change- dressing appropriately for dinner!

The other night, my boyfriend and I went out to dinner at a pretty nice Italian restaurant in the “nice” part of town. I wore heels, a little black dress, and red lipstick. My boyfriend wore a button up, slacks, and dress shoes. I called ahead to make reservations for 6:30 to ensure we got a table. Luckily, it was a week night so not many people were out. When we walked into the restaurant, I looked around and took in the ambiance, enjoyed the smell coming from the kitchen, and smiled at the waiter who took our drink order.

Upon getting settled at our table I began to notice more details of the restaurant and the little things that made it charming. However, there were some not so charming people that, how do I put it, took away from the restaurant’s overall feeling. Seated at the bar, was a middle-aged man wearing a t-shirt with a line of sweat down the back. He also wore running shorts, white socks, and Reeboks. I hope he enjoyed his Pinot Grigio.

Waiting for a table outside was a family of three. Dad wore a tight v-neck t-shirt with a backwards hat. The son (whom I’ll forgive because he was young) wore athletic shorts and a sports jersey. Mom wore flare leg jeans and a wife beater. I get it, you’re a busy family and Italian food means comfort food, but maybe the more appropriate restaurant based on your attire would have been Olive Garden.

Finally, seated with her husband a few tables down from us was a young woman wearing flare leg jeans, a t-shirt with a cartoon on it, a messy bun, and some sort of a canvas bag as her purse. Her hubby, while not the fashion expert himself, was wearing jeans and a polo, which, in my opinion, was more appropriate for the restaurant.

My point in this blog post is not to rip people to shreds and make fun of those who don’t have a sense of fashion, the purpose is to bring light to an etiquette conundrum I’m seeing more and more everyday. As a society, we should try our best to look our best. It’s polite. When I’m at Taco Bell, sweatpants and oversized tees are perfectly acceptable! When I’m at a 5-star restaurant, dress shirts and nice skirts are expected.

I’ll step off my high-horse now and let you form your own opinion, this is just my two cents!

7 Things to Find Cheap at TJ Maxx

In my never ending conquest to find good deals on things I love, places like TJ Maxx have caught my attention and of course, my wallet. I’ve found a ridiculous amount of good stuff at these stores that I would have otherwise bought at Target for twice the price. While I am a Target snob, there are some things I just refuse to pay so much money for. I guess you could say I’m a Target snob on a Walmart budget. Believe me, I hate it too. So here’s 7 things that you can find at TJ Maxx for a portion of the regular price.

• Makeup remover– I don’t put a lot of soaps and cleansers on my face because it breaks me out. Instead, I use makeup remover towelettes. I used to buy them at Target for around $5 for 40 of them. I recently found that I can buy a supply of 90 for between $4 and $5.
• Nail polish– I love nail polish a little too much. Every time my mom turns around I have a new color on and I’m trying to convince her to let me do her nails. I was waiting in the checkout line one day and noticed a bunch of Essie and OPI polishes sitting on a little rack. It just so happened that instead of paying retail prices of $8.99 these were $3.99!
• Snack foods– Last week I found a bag of Boom Chicka Pop for $2.99. At Target they retail for around $5. You can also find things like organic potato chips, granola, dried fruit, coffee, biscotti, and even spices for low prices.
• Coffee mugs– Anyone who knows me realizes that I have a slight obsession with cute coffee mugs. I live for them. Most of my coffee mugs have come from TJ Maxx and were under $4. I’ve also found great travel mugs and these amazing food containers called Sistema for half the retail price.
• Kitchen gadgets– Have you ever found an avocado container? I did and it was really cool! I browse the kitchen aisle like there’s no tomorrow. I never buy anything because this girl can’t cook. However, if you’re looking to stock your new kitchen you’ll more than likely find everything you could want here.
• Gift bags– I refuse to pay $3.99 for a stupid gift bag. That could have been a Starbucks coffee for me. TJ Maxx usually has a lot of gift bags to choose from for almost every occasion at a much lower price. There are some days that I’m tempted to buy a bag just because it’s cute to look at.
• Notecards– Stationary has always been something I liked to stockpile. Not only does it make for adorable letters to send, it also looks great for Instagram photos. Don’t I just think ahead?

Tell me what your best TJ Maxx find was in a comment! I’m excited to hear!

Inexpensive Ways to Enjoy the Weekend

Saturdays are the best for grabbing brunch, doing a little shopping, and hitting up local outdoor events! The temperatures are cooling down slightly so I’m embracing the boyfriend jean and gladiator sandals for the time being. I’m also loving this coral top! Isn’t it cute?

I absolutely love summer days spent outside enjoying the sunshine with my family. Sometimes we’ll be doing yard work and our cats will come outside and run up and down trees “showing off” their mighty strength to us. We pretend to be impressed.

Today, I’m going to enjoy the farmer’s market in my town that’s held during the summer at an old plantation home. It’s a quaint little event that brings the community together to appreciate a beautiful property and locally grown fruits and veggies.

I was thinking about fun things you can do this time of year that are low cost but still provide some source of entertainment. Contrary to what you see on Instagram, most fashion/lifestyle bloggers aren’t jet setting to a new destination every weekend because we’re normal people and can’t afford that lavish lifestyle. I’ve rounded up 5 things to do during the summer that are inexpensive.

1. Go to yard sales– Yard sales can be so much fun if you hit the good ones! My mom and I went thrift store hunting and then to a yard sale looking for little goodies. We found some really neat stuff and even found out that there was an estate sale going on down the road. The estate ended up being huge and well worth our time just to look at the beautiful furniture and antiques being sold.
2. Have a potluck– I hate using the word “potluck” because sometimes whatever is in the pot isn’t going to make me feel so lucky. I’ve been to enough church luncheons to know this is the truth. Nonetheless, invite friends over for an afternoon of eating and socializing.
3. Enjoy the farmer’s market– Similar to what I’m doing today, find out where your local market is and spend a Saturday morning browsing. Hint to my other bloggers: these events make great backdrops for taking pictures of your outfit!
4. Local concerts– Some towns have invested in the arts more than others, but in my town they have an annual concert series throughout the summer that’s free to attend. Find out if your town does something like this!
5. Tour the historical sites– Believe it or not you can actually learn a thing or two about the place you call home if you’re willing to. Living on the east coast, we have many places locally to discover. Depending on the location you choose and season you do it in, it can be free or very inexpensive.

What do you do for entertainment during the warm summer months? Leave me a comment!

Summer’s Over Celebration

Happy Friday loves! It’s been such a long week for me full of ups and downs but I wanted to share with you something pretty and creative to make you smile. Since summer is coming to a close, now is the perfect time to throw a little backyard party celebrating the end of the season. The best part is, all the summer stuff is on clearance!

For a summer gathering, you need splashes of color and little vintage touches. I love hydrangeas during this season. Especially white ones because they go with everything. I go to my local grocery store and can find a fairly large bouquet for about $15. They make the best centerpieces for a table! To add a vintage touch, use a wire basket to put them in during the party. Obviously, they can’t live without water for very long so keep them in a vase before guests arrive.

A really nice vintage touch to your tableware is drinks served in mason jars. I know, how Pinterest of me, right? Normally, I hate mason jars for events (especially weddings) but for little BBQs or outdoor things, I think it works. Serve up a fruity drink in these classic containers!

I also love vibrant colors during the summer and I think that they should be a part of our table settings! At Kohl’s, all of their summer table linens are starting to hit the clearance racks. Now is the time to stock up for next year and get at least one use out of them sometime soon.

One of the things that I keep going back to in all of my posts is the great stuff I can find at TJ Maxx. It’s a place I will shop at no matter how wealthy I am. I find so many neat things at great prices there. Just like many other stores, a lot of their summer stuff is on clearance now too so go take advantage of it! Host a little party this weekend and create a beautiful table setting from the fun, quirky things you can find on clearance.

Tell me what your end-of-the-season traditions are!