Thanksgiving Day Lookbook | Bold Yet Relaxed

Coral Shift Dress

Relaxed in Leopard Print

Wild Thing

Eye of the Tiger

What I Wore: Mother's Day 2015

Sweater Remix

Hey y'all! I hope you're having an awesome week so far. Mine is going pretty good. No complaints here.  Just living and enjoying life.  Thankful to have a new day of grace and mercy.  God has been good to me.  Yes, I'm a believer and follower of Christ.  And it's amazing how he shows himself strong to me everyday in the midst of my weaknesses.  I'm not perfect, only human.  And I don't get it right every single day of my life, but I strive to be better each day.  To show love and kindness is my aim each and every day I'm given, even to those with ill intent toward me.  I realize that some who follow me may not have the same beliefs as I, and I'm okay with that.  God gives us free will to choose whom we serve and I choose him. 

Finding a Good Bargain | Thrift Shopping

A few years ago I found myself unemployed and facing foreclosure on my home of seven years.  I have to admit, these past few years have been some of the hardest challenges I’ve ever had to face in my life.  However, when I was making a great salary, I was careless with money.  I got paid on payday and spent, spent, spent.  It was nothing for me to spend hundreds of dollars a month on my habit of excessive retail therapy.  I love fashion and if I saw something I loved, I just bought it.  I didn’t care what it cost nor did I experience one instance of “sticker shock”.  I simply whipped out my Visa and swiped with glee. 

It’s very sobering to reflect on that time in my life.  I mean, I literally bought things that hung in my closet with tags still attached as a new season began.  Shame on me!  My favorite place to visit EVERY single payday was Lane Bryant.  Their pieces gave me life each time I slid a new item over my body.  After losing my job, that came to a quick halt.  I wallowed in self-pity and misery over the fact that I couldn’t swipe my card with $0 on it.  Reality set in and I had to do some major budget cuts.  Guess which was first to go? Yep, my love for retail therapy.

During this turbulent time in my life, I met my best girl friend.  She loved and accepted me with no regard to my miserable, broken spirit.  Never once has she judged me and I thank God for her.  I owe my love of thrifting to her.  I’ll never forget our first trip together to Goodwill and the look I had on my face.  I felt like I was too good to shop there.  Lol, in hindsight, I can’t believe I actually WANTED to pay retail prices instead of looking for gems among mounds of worn, some stained and tattered clothing.  Silly me!!  We walked in, and I was so used to everything being neat and hanging nicely on mannequins that I didn’t know where to begin looking first.  I’m like, "Where’s my section??  You know these hips can't fit everything, sis!"  Lol, my friend pointed me in which direction to go.  I tell you the truth, my very first experience at Goodwill was a major score.  I found tons of new things with tags AND in a size to fit these hips…haaaa!  I’ve been sold ever since.

I apologize for the blurred photos.  I'm working with my 12 year old for photo ops :)

Still trying to get this posing thing down...lol

I said all that to say this…. To my new readers and my loyal followers, never underestimate what you can find in a thrift store.  I actually prefer shopping at thrift stores now rather than walking into the department store and getting 2 items for $100.  I can get like 100 items for that much at Goodwill…just kidding.  But a little money in a thrift store goes a long way.  Thank you Naquita (my bff) for encouraging me to step out of my comfort zone!! I have finally realized the endless treasures I can find while thrifting.

Ralph Lauren Slacks ~ $7.99 (Retail 109.00 *gasp*)  <---- Sticker shock

Blazer (Dressbarn label) ~ $7.00

Animal print tank (Chico's) ~ $4.25

Clutch (It's Fashion) ~ $10.00

Patent flats (Goodwill) ~ $6.50

My face after shooting photos in the wind, cold and rain...ugh!!

Here's a few snap shots of my best friend, Naquita.  She's pretty fashion savvy herself, don't you think?  I love this lady to life!! She has been more than I could ever hope for in a friend.

Linked up HERE

Spring Has Sprung

I decided to wear this for the first day of spring. A lot of bloggers I follow have presented looks trending pastel colors. But I just could not wait until summer to wear this fabulous teal and yellow combination. It was warm this day so I wanted to break out my denim crops as well.

Although my feet are flat and wide...ugh, I simply love leopard print anything...lol. I found these while thrifting,  brand new with tag. At five bucks, I'd say score! 

Even though I'm not 100% happy with my current weight, I still love me. I thank God for my emerging confidence and how I'm beginning to come out of my shell. 

To me, confidence is imperative to loving who I am at this current place in my life and it fuels my spirit in who I hope to become.

Link ups:

Personal Style Monday

Manic Monday

Mix It Monday

Snow Leopard

Although spring is here, we've still been experiencing some extreme low temperatures in the south. I wore this look a couple of weeks ago on a weekend outing. The raspberry colored jacket helped to keep my look fashionable and warm. I like how the color compliments my skin tone. And I stayed true to my love of animal print with this button up blouse in a leopard print. The fit is not the greatest on my frame but I made it work for me. And those military style boots came in handy while shopping. They were very comfy. Overall, I enjoyed wearing this look.

Whitney James ~ Personal Style

Carylee ~ Manic Monday

Date Night...

The Best Man Holiday 2013

Ankle Booties purchased - Here

Hi, guys!  I know I haven't posted in a loooong time...lol. I was recently asked on a date by none other than my husband of 10 years and we went to see the movie Best Man Holiday.  I wanted to wear something nice but not to formal.  After hours of digging through my closet, I decided to go with this ensemble.  Please leave a comment below to let me know what you guys think of it.

 Red Jeggings purchased - Here

 Animal Print Tank (similar to this) purchased - Here

 I love this man!

We had such a wonderful time! I recommend plenty of kleenex if you decide to view this movie. You will laugh and cry throughout the whole viewing.

Thank you for viewing my post!