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

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.

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.