Coral Your Valentine

Coral Your Valentine by divvyntage featuring cameo rings

Coral is the big color this year; and I have personally always had a thing for any shade of teal, especially mint. So to me it seemed like a no brainer to make it into a wonderful date outfit for this Valentine's Day. 
Coral is still in the pink family so you can celebrate the day in color but it also tends to be a more guy friendly version of pink. Its one of the shades of pink my boyfriend doesn't mind seeing.
I picked these outfits particularly because they can work for most body types.

Outfit One: Casually Coral
  I love this outfit because of the fun flirty vibe it gives without being too overdone for a fun date to the movies or maybe even a round of put put golfing. 
  The loose top is forgiving of any extra weight still hanging around from the holidays and the dark teal color of the jeans helps create a slimming effect.

 I got the top at Francesca's (theirs has pearl buttons, making it even more perfect) $26*
 The jeans I got at Kohl's $3*
 The mint shoes came from Maurice's $39
 I own the cameo ring set in the picture  and I also have a mint and pearl bangle bracelet set which comes from Charlotte Russe 2 for $10
 Any pearl earrings will do but I do loves these from ModCloth $10


Outfit Two: Cutely Coral
  For a romantic stroll through the park or a picnic lunch what could beat something so femininely sweet. 
  The empire waist gathers in just the right way to give the appearance of curves in all the right places and none of the wrong ones.

  I found this dress at Kohl's $6*
  Mint flats can be found at Charlotte Russe for $19.50
  The jewelry remains the same throughout all the pieces because due to the stackable bangles and rings you can mix and match the best ones with your outfit.


Outfit Three: Captivatingly Coral
  Make a statement and watch his jaw drop in this gorgeous dress as you head to your romantic dinner plans.
  I love the ruching across the stomach to create that illusion of an hourglass shape and camouflage any extra tummy flab.


  This dress can be found at David's Bridal in guava for $60* 
   The gold heels are from Dillard's (They are the actual shoes pictured just a lot cheaper at Dillard's. I have them and I love them) $31.15
   
                              
                        *on sale or with coupon

Give Me Some Credit

Credit seems to be the factor that makes the world turn anymore. Everything stems off of it, from homes to cars and even jobs. But what if you're young and are just starting out. How do you build up positive credit without getting in over your head?

If used correctly, store credit cards are a great tool. They help build positive credit and many offer ways to save money on purchases or get rewards for future purchases. But for your credit to benefit rather than suffer, there are a few cautionary principles you should always follow.

1) Pay off the balance immediately

    This is honestly the most important thing because the interest on store credit cards can be rather high, and the whole point of this card is to help you save money rather than spend more. So never spend more than you can afford to pay that day. Not by the end of the month or the end of the week but that day. If your paycheck hasn't come yet and you think well I'll just put it on my charge card, that's a bad idea cause you have no idea what other emergency expenses might spring up. My best practice is to actually pay off my credit card in the store as soon as I make the purchase. That's actually one of the few reasons I still have a check book. Most stores will allow you to make a payment toward your account that way. So you get the awesome savings that the credit card provides or the points that go toward your next purchase and the insanely awesome thrill of knowing that you already have it paid off and taken care of. And your credit score is boosted by your timely payments.

2) Use the coupons and rewards



Purchased at Kohl's from the clearance racks all for less than $85
thanks to coupons



    Every woman should have a Victoria's Secret card. Victoria's Secret sends rewards dollars. Most the time that's a $10 off coupon. Buy something that's right around that price point and you might only pay a few cents or if you need something else that's a great way to save on it. They also send you free panty coupons: use those! Free is great especially when its something like that because you really can't have to many. If you know you have a coupon at home, don't go shopping without it. Those percentages off can really help especially if you're in the shopping in the sale section anyway. Kohl's is great for allowing you to save on everything including the clearance sections.

(Clearance is your friend. It will still be in style next year and usually is still wearable when you buy it anyway because they start marking down mid-season. That tip was free. You're welcome.)

3) Don't feel like you have to buy

     Just because they have a sale and sent you that 30% off coupon doesn't mean you have to buy anything,. Yes those coupons are awesome, but I get them every month and if I used every one, I'd be broke. Use them when you need them, not just because you have them.

4) Pay the balance off immediately

    So important it bears repeating. This is not only true for store credit but for regular credit as well. If more people followed this principle we'd have far fewer issues. *Le sigh*

Cinching Up Your New Year's Re-shoe-lution

   I love dressing up for the holiday season; its the one time of year my super cute dresses really get to step out of the closet.
  This year, I decided that really knowing how to divvy out my budget means knowing how to make all of the pieces in my closet multifunctional and that includes those dresses that usually only see the light of day a few times a year.

  And with a couple of simple changes, you can too!

  With an easy switch of a belt and shoes, you can take almost any dress from formal to casual. Again, cardigans come into play as well. Throwing a casual cardigan over a dress can change the look drastically. As does throwing a chunky sweater over the dress to use the bottom of the dress as a skirt. There truly are so many way to make those dresses cross functional!

  But when its really as easy as a different pair of shoes and a different belt shouldn't we all be celebrating by pulling those holiday dresses long after the New Year's confetti settles?

So let's all resolve this year to find ways to turn that once-in-a-blue-moon piece into something worth wearing again and again.



This cranberry lace dress is evening appropriate when paired with a black skinny belt and mint heels.
The same dress is great for everyday wear when paired with a wide brown belt and brown oxfords.

The Most Wonderful Piece of the Year

     Yay for cooler weather! I love this time of year mostly because I love that sweaters are so forgiving of all the extra holiday weight I might pick up. But why only wear something so body flattering for a few months out of the year? That's where the cardigan comes in. These wardrobe staples can be used throughout the year to keep warm, add color, shape, and style.





 

The boyfriend cardigan for 19.99 at Target.



     My personal favorite is the boyfriend cardigan. I probably have at least ten of these looser fitting, longer cardigans. They're great for people with wider hips because they hit in a place that hides it better and you can belt them to accentuate the waist line. They tend to offer a more casual look but paired correctly can offer a more polished look as well.  I love Target's selection of boyfriend cardigans because they have great color availability and lasting quality for a decent price. 

The classic cardigan for 19.80 at Forever 21.







    The classic cardigan is another great option for stylish and office appropriate wear. This classic cut can dress up your favorite jeans and tee shirt or provide an extra element over a favorite button-up. This style is pretty easy to find in about every possible shade, color, and pattern. Forever 21 offers great prices on these as does Target. These are also very easy to find at vintage and thrift stores since the shape doesn't change much. 

   The open cardigan is typically more flowy and doesn't have buttons like the other two types. They can come in a wide variety of shapes and lengths. Again, this can be belted or left to hang open. A variety of stores carry these for low prices and they are pretty commonly found at thrift stores.





The open cardigan for 29.99 on ModCloth.

   These pieces can take you throughout the year since you can roll up the sleeves or find lighter weight knits. You can throw them on over sundresses on cool summer nights or pair them with jeans or sweats as you sip your hot cocoa in the winter. They are the ultimate budget friendly piece since you'll wear them over and over again!

    
   Check out Divvyntage on Polyvore to see some more outfit combinations you can make with cardigans!

Rules to Shopping Happiness

I'm known for being cheap. I don't think its so much that I'm cheap but that I know how to divvy out my money into a set budget and know how to shop for quality pieces and items that fit within that budget. I think the biggest problem most people have is that instead of being able to wait for a deal or look for their best option, they are impulse buyers. So the three important rules when shopping for anything are:

1) Know your budget:
     Literally sit down and figure out your budget for everything. Take out payments for bills and credit cards first. Factor in an amount to go toward savings. Next take out money for groceries and fuel. Go through your expenses like that. BE REALISTIC with yourself. Nobody else is going to see this budget but you, so go ahead and factor in the money you spend on snickers bars. Do you have a spa day every month? Factor it in. Obviously, you should be able to determine the difference between wants and necessities but prioritize your splurge budgets too. Are snickers more important than the spa? Are new shoes worth bringing in your lunch a couple extra days a week? You decide.
   Once you have a budget, STICK TO IT!

2) Know where (and when) to shop:
    For clothing and accessories shop off season. You can usually find the best deals in those clearance racks and if its something that you think will be completely out of style by next season, you probably shouldn't be buying it anyway. Also don't be afraid of Goodwill, thrift stores, and discount retailers like Marshall's. I find some of the best items at places like thrift and vintage shops. Especially for jewelry. Instead of paying twenty bucks for a necklace that is supposed to look vintage, I get an actual vintage piece for a fraction of the cost.
    For bigger purchases--think appliances, cars or whatever--do research before buying. It took me eight months to buy my car. I waited for deals and did a lot of research on models and reviews and ended up buying through the internet. Of course, I had test driven the car at a dealership long before I made that decision, but I got a great price which brings me to my last rule.

3) Know how to say NO:
    This is a lot of people's huge downfall. You have a budget, you did your research but when you get there to purchase your item something else catches your eye or the salesperson tries to add in extra money. That dress you see on the hanger is more than you really want to pay or more than your budget says you should pay. Learn to walk away. 
   The price will go down or it wasn't meant to be yours after all. The sales person will have some magic wand that somehow makes the price go down to close the deal or you find a new place to shop. It works and you feel good about your purchase today and tomorrow and a month from now.