Faux Fur-Real $10 Stocking Stuffers!!

Faux fabrics are seeing a resurgence and faux fur is definitely one that is experiencing its season right now! Anything done poorly can be terrible, but times have changed since the days of my mother's faux fabrics and they can feel practically as supple and soft as the real thing!

From winter whites to rich wines - today I've rounded up a few fun fur options that would make great stocking stuffers or last minute gifts and all around price points of $10!!

Take a look!

1. / 2. / 3. / 4. / 5. / 6. / 7. / 8.

And for the chance to grab a few gifts for yourself, you've still got time to enter my Holidays on Chic Giveaway for the chance to win a fab pair of Kate Spade earrings and beauty goods! I mean, you've been good this year too, right?!

Giftsgiving! - 25 Gifts Under $25

'Tis the official kickoff for holiday shopping season! Smart shopping can allow for great gift picking and sticking to your budget. To help get you started, here's my list of wallet friendly gifts for the loved ones on your list, that they will be sure to appreciate (and use)!

1. / 2. / 3. / 4. / 5. / 6. / 7. / 8. / 9. / 10. / 11. / 12.

Here's a chance to do away with the impersonal feel that can come with gift cards, and what's better, is there's no sizing required! Giving a thoughtful gift and all that's needed is having a tiny bit of insight into her regular activities or things that she's into!

13. / 14. / 15. / 16. / 17. / 18. / 19. / 20. / 21. / 22. / 23. / 24. / 25.

And you can always pair two gifts together and still be under budget - like a multi pack of fashion earrings with the jewelry box, the tea bag caddy (or tea bag variety pack) with the tea kettle, or a couple hand towels with the foaming hand soap.

It really takes less effort than you think! Happy Black Friday shopping to all of you!

Let's Get Fancy! - SUPER EASY DIY Pom Pom Shoe Clips

Poms poms are showing up all over the place! Topping off hats, furry details on key chains, and adding frou frou to handbags! And they're even showing up on shoes!

Credit : 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

Poms on shoes add an unconventional element and bring a little bit of something extra special to an outfit! Adding a poufy punch to everything from ballet flats to red bottoms, in a variety of colors, sizes and fabrics. There are a several retailers out there where you can find clips like these made from luxe materials for $50 a pair or more. 

Today's DIY will give you the chance to save yourself some cash (for that new pair of shoes) and still have some fashion fun!

What you'll need:

-  A segment of felt - just enough to cut two quarter sized rounds from
-  Scissors
-  Glue gun
-  Shoe clips (I got mine from etsy)
-  A pair of pompoms (I ordered mine from JoAnn Fabrics, no fancy fur, they're just acrylic)

Find the size pom that's right for you. For my first set, I decided to go big (and bright) or go home! So feel free to pick the size and shade that best represents your style.

1. Simply cut out your quarter sized round from the felt (I eyeballed mine).

2. Attach your clip with the hot glue to the center of the felt. Press it firmly to make sure it adheres, but be careful as the metal will be hot. Allow a few moments to cool.

3. Then apply a generous amount of glue to the other side of the felt and press it to the bottom of the pom. Mine had a flattish surface on the bottom. I left my clip open as it cooled (see image 3 above) so that the glue wouldn't seep through and make it stick together.

Once cooled, you can close the clip and complete your other pompom.


And in literally less than 15 minutes you've got a new pair of clips to sass up any pair of shoe you want!

Hey, why go for just bows on your toes, when poms are the bomb?!

Leopard Flats: H&M - sold out
similar, similar, similar, similar

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mini Haul: How I Paid $1.31 at Macy's

I consider myself a budget conscious shopper, I love an awesome deal. Which is typically a coupon on top of an already great sale. But deep down in my shopping recess is another, more aggressive budgenista. She's more of an extreme couponing type who is thrilled at the idea of getting a bushel of items for a few dollars.

This past weekend I had one such occasion at Macy's, where I purchased these pieces totaling $189, but walking out of the store paying only $1.31 out of pocket!:

1. / 2. / 3. similar, similar / 4. similar, similar  / 5. / 6. similar, similar / 7. 

So, how did I manage that?

Let me start by saying that it doesn't HAVE to be Macy's, if you can make it work with other retailers who offer similar coupons and deals. But it does take some effort on your part,

Step 1: Sign up for store coupons - In this case I had a 20% off coupon

Step 2: If you're able to join a store rewards program, it's worth signing up, especially if you shop there often - I am a Macy's/AmEx cardholder and earn rewards points on all my purchases, so I had a $25 reward certificate. I also signed up to earn Plenti rewards and linked my Macy's card to the account, which earned me another $25 reward.

Step 3: Sign up for online surveys (here's some of the effort I was talking about) - I am signed up to complete surveys through e-Rewards which I can cash in for gift card, so I had a card for $25. This site is by invite only and not all retailers offer this. But I also recently joined Swagbucks.com, and they offer similar options.

Step 4: Credit card rewards: Keep a major credit card that offers rewards, and keep it at a zero balance. When you plan to make a purchase using cash, charge it to the card instead to earn rewards, then use the cash to immediately pay off the balance. I earned a $50 gift card through my Discover card.

Step 5: Now, my final method is a bit unique and unconventional and isn't as widely accessible. The company I work for allows employees the opportunity to earn points for things such as outstanding teamwork or exceptional work, which can then be redeemed for gift cards or a variety of other options. I was fortunate enough to have some of these points to cash in, so I got a $25 gift card.

WAIT!

Before you brush me off because you don't have access to my last option, don't forget the cash options that are available to you! If you just set it aside, you can treat it as "shopping money" versus money out of your paycheck. Better yet, use the cash earned from these options to buy yourself a gift card in order make sure the funds stay toward your fun money reserve.

Cashback sites: If you're an avid online shopper, like myself, it's is definitely worth signing up for Ebates. It doesn't matter if you're buying shoes or shingles, contacts or cable knit sweaters, you can get cashback on your purchases! And some stores even allow you to order online and pick it up locally.

Poshmark and eBay: Don't forget these old standbys! Great condition items you don't want or no longer need can be used to bank you some cash to set aside for those shopping hauls!


So, as I mentioned earlier, all of this takes effort and a bit of diligence on your part. But I bet you buy things every day. If you simply find the best way to make those everyday purchases work for you, then you can reap some benefits from it.

Trust me! It's so much fun when you pass the associate a buck and some change in exchange for a bag full of goodies!



If there are any other "shopportunities" that you ladies know about, please feel free to share in the comments section!

The EASIEST DIY Kate Spade Inspired Necklace

Typical girly girl here! Things with bows make me swoon, but sometimes the associated price tags with those things do not. So I've got a quick down and dirty post inspired by the Swoon Inducing Extraordinaire, Kate Spade, who we know is all about that bow life.

So here are some of Kate's bow adorned necklaces:

And for my nifty inspired version the only things you'll need are:

A strand of pearls (I suggest a basic long version that can be looped 2 - 3 times)

Bow brooch 

Et voila!

Told ya it was EASY!

One little tip that I have is that to keep my brooch from flopping around through the day, I actually run the pin through a seam on my blouse before clasping the pearls in. This ensures that it will lay flat through the day. 

Diva DIY - Quick & Easy Storage Caddy

I know I haven't shown many pictures or done a tour yet of my closet project, but I PROMISE I'm gonna!! I'd say one of the biggest challenges with that is keeping it tidy enough until I finally get a window of time photograph/film. Sounds simple, but when I'm in and out of there 80% of the week, it's super easy for it to suddenly look like a cyclone has come through. It also doesn't help that the access to the attic is in there, so my recent roof repair efforts required some moving and disassembling of my set up. I'd say that's actually the most frustrating of all, because I'm forced to keep things "a mess" until all the repairs are done.

But I digress....

So even though I'd say that the majority of my closet is complete, I'm still working on minor aspects - adding pictures and other decorative details, and especially storage options. That area has its own design element centered on white, gold and pink. So I like everything to compliment that theme as best as possible. 

I recently managed to move my small white dresser chest out of my bedroom and into my closet. It holds all of my lingerie, some foldable clothing pieces and layering tees. But I found that I wasn't thrilled with the look of the functional storage on top. Replacing it required that it still be functional (obviously), that it blended with the decor and that it was cheap.

Here's what I used:
Target Dollar Spot Storage Caddy ($3)
Target Gold Heart Stickers ($2)
(2) Acrylic Containers (part of a larger acrylic beauty set found at Marshall's)
(2) Cardboard sleeves (I used old boxes from beauty products)
X-Acto knife

Cute and easy peasy, right?!

I do have to say that the day after uploading this video I felt compelled to make some minor tweaks to the finished product, I removed the stickers from the top area and lined the inside front storage compartments, I just liked that finished look a little better...

I'm thinking of sharing more of my fashion and home projects in the future, I'd love to hear about any DIYs you'd be interested in!