Tell Me About - ModCloth Stylish Surprise

It's Tell Me About...Tuesday! And yes, I'm going to be talking about another ModCloth phenomenon. Don't worry, not every TMAT is going to be about ModCloth. It just so happens that something exciting happened in the ModCloth world this past week.

A few times a year, ModCloth offers what they call their "Stylish Surprise". You select a category and size, and they send you a SURPRISE, and you know me. I love surprises. I've seen it offered in a couple of different options and prices. This most recent time, they had shoes for $10, dresses for $10, and apparel for $10. I heard mention of an accessories category as well but I never saw it. I would've done apparel since it's more likely that separates would fit me than dresses but they sold out in my size before I could get to it. What I decided on instead was 3 dresses and 2 shoes (to total $50 and get free shipping. I'm a sucker for free shipping). The results are below.

The Windy City Dress in Coral. Originally sold for $64.99. I was most excited about this dress. I'd seen it on ModCloth's site and almost ordered it a few times. Unfortunately, I couldn't get it to zip so it's in my swap pile.

The Elite the Way Dress. Originally sold for $99.99. This dress was super cute, but again did not fit. I loved that it had a tulle underskirt. I was able to swap this through the #stylishswap tag on Instagram for a super cute green skirt. Sidenote: If you'd like to follow me on IG, you can here!

The Ink Positively Dress in Purple. Originally sold for $74.99. This dress did fit, but I was not a fan of the print, it was baggy in the bust which was unattractive, and I didn't like that the print on the bust didn't line up. It looked sloppy.

The Cottage Wedding Wedge. Originally sold for $89.99. They are cute, but not quite my style. I'm hoping to swap them for something that I'll actually wear.

The Kensington Markedness Bootie in Tan. Originally sold for $74.99. I loved the look of these when I pulled them out of the box, but after trying them on, I decided they made my feet look long and narrow. Not a look I strive for, so I sold them to a friend. 

If you were keeping track of that total, my $50 got me $404.95 worth of merchandise. While it may appear that I was 0 for 5 on things I like/fit, I'm hopeful that I'll get some good trades out of it. I've recently been introduced to the world of swap groups, and I can already see it's going to be fun. 

And if you were wondering, I still plan on participating in the Stylish Surprise the next time it swings around. It's quite the adrenaline rush since they usually sell out in less than an hour.

If you've never shopped with ModCloth before, use my link here and get $15 off $50.

Happy Shopping!

Everyday Style - Making Darks Pop

Top: ModCloth Roll Model Top (no longer available)

Jeans: HauteLook (Seven7)
Shoes: ThredUp (Yosi Samra)
Necklace: Monica's Fantabulous Fashions

As the weather starts cooling off (sort of) and days become shorter, it's natural to start moving towards darker colors. I can see the appeal. Darker colors are slimming, and they are easy to match. They are also attractive to people that want to look put together, but not draw too much attention. If you're like me and don't really want to blend in, you can still wear darks and make them pop. Accessories are your friend!

I chose to pair this simple yet classy ModCloth charcoal top with a statement necklace and corresponding flats. You could also switch out the necklace with a scarf for a more layered look, or switch out the flats with heels for a dressier one. 

Now, I'm going to take a sec to gush about these flats! They are another ThredUp find (are you surprised?). I bought a pair of Yosi Samra fold up flats on ShoeMint and fell in love. They are the most comfortable flats I've ever put on my feet, but the price was a bit much for me. I was ecstatic to find this red pair on ThredUp for $15. That's a price I can handle! 

If you haven't signed up for ThredUp yet, use my link and get $10 off your first purchase!

If you're looking for a great place to find statement jewelry, check my friend Mon's Facebook store out. If you'd like to find out more, you can read my post about it here. 

If you don't know what HauteLook is, you can read my post about it here or use my link to sign up here!

And again, if you've never shopped with ModCloth, use my link here for $15 off $50.

Happy Shopping!

Tell Me About - ModCloth's Breathtaking Tiger Lilies Skirt

Happy Tuesday! For today's edition of Tell Me About...Tuesday, I thought I'd tell you a little bit about my favorite ModCloth skirt: The Breathtaking Tiger Lilies Skirt. It comes in a wide variety of fall colors, and one floral print (although be warned, the floral print is not the same material, doesn't have pockets, and runs smaller). 

I'm a firm believer in the saying "If it fits, buy it in every color!", I bought the stem green first while I was pregnant because I figured it was a good, versatile color and the elastic back waist made it ideal for maternity wear. I absolutely fell in love with it. I knew I had to have it in other colors so I added the orange, and mustard to my collection. Don't ask me to pick a favorite because I couldn't. 

The skirt isn't lined, but it is made of a heavier polyester material, so it's not an issue. As I mentioned, it has an elastic back waist which is one of the reasons I think it's the perfect skirt: it's very forgiving. It comes with a belt, although I usually switch it out for a belt of my own. The best part? POCKETS! It comes in size XS to 4X so whether you are plus sized, a skinny mini, or somewhere in between, you should be able to find one that works for you.

The only downside? The price. It is $49.99 and rarely goes on sale, but sometimes you can get lucky. If you put it on your wishlist and you download the app, you'll get a notification right to your phone if it goes on sale.  I'd love to have it in every color, but I don't have that kind of budget. 

No, ModCloth didn't sponsor this post. I'm just an adoring fan. If you haven't purchased with ModCloth before and are interested, use my link for $15 off $50!

Below I've posted my outfits so far with this awesome skirt. Click on the picture for outfit details (Obviously there are more outfits with the green because I've had it the longest)!

Happy Shopping!

I was 32 weeks pregnant in the above so it works well for maternity!

 

What I Wore To Church - Dressing Up A Tee

Top: Mossimo Boyfriend V Tee (Target)
Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Honey
Skirt: eShakti Pintuck Pleat Chambray Skirt
Shoes: ThredUp (Michael Antonio)

Every closet has it's share of tees in it for good reason. They are comfortable, come in a wide variety of colors, necklines, and fits so everyone can appreciate them. They were a life saver after I had the baby. I practically lived in them. I prefer to stick to nice-ish looking v-necks so I can pair them with yoga pants or dress them up with a skirt. While I do have quite a few colors, I also appreciate a good print every now and then. When I saw this one at Target on clearance, resistance was futile. The first time I wore it, I stuck with jeans and sneakers and it worked out great, but I wanted to have some fun and dress it up a bit.

I absolutely adore this chambray skirt from eShakti and decided it was a good fit with this tee. Chambray is so versatile. It can be dressed up or down, and it's a great neutral. This particular skirt has just the right amount of poof and is a great length, not to mention POCKETS!

The cardigan was a no brainer after I noticed the subtle mustard color in the print. You should know by now how much I love mustard.

I opted to belt outside the cardigan this week to pull in my waistline and counter-balance the poof of the skirt.

The shoes, OH THE SHOES. These were my latest find from ThredUp. When I saw them, I liked them, but the pictures didn't do them justice. I've been looking for flats with fun detailing since I seem to be spending a lot more time in them. The strap on these and the mixed materials (leather and patent) add just the right amount of adorable. The zippers on the back are appreciated for easy on and off. Who has time for buckles?

All in all I think it made for a great dressed up, yet super comfortable outfit.

If you're interested in signing up for ThredUp (seriously, why haven't you yet?) use my link and get $10 off your first purchase.

If you've never shopped at ModCloth before because you're living under a rock, use my link for $15 off $50.

If you've never peeked at eShakti before because you're new around here, well...I don't have a link, but you can send me your email address and I'll send you an invite. You'll get $35 off your first purchase and free customization the first time you do it. They have a buy 2 get 1 free deal going on, so check it out.

Happy Shopping!

Everyday Style - Zip Up Blouse and Leopard Flats

Outfit Details:

Top: ThredUp (LOFT)

Jeans: JustFab Signature Skinny Multi Zipper

Shoes: b.o.c. (no longer available)

I've been having a blast with my clothes since I've been on terminal leave from the Air Force. It's fun to actually get to choose what I wear every day, and since I own a lot of nice clothes that rarely got worn, it's been exciting coming up with different combinations of dressy casual. Yes, most of the time, I'll pull out the yoga pants or the tee and jeans, but at least once a week, I try to dress it up a bit. My mom calls it my "classy mom on the go" look. I'm hoping to feature at least one casual look a week. We'll see if I can hold myself to that. 

Today I kept it simple. Even if it is a dressier look, it wasn't hard to style: a nice blouse, some jeans, and flats. I threw a statement necklace on for good measure and called it a day. It was perfect for lunch out with the family, but it would also work well on a casual date or a trip to the park now that it's cooling off. 

The blouse is another find from ThredUp (If you haven't read about my obsession, check it out here). I obsessively comb their app looking for fun pieces at super low prices. This one is from LOFT (surprised? I actually have LOFT set as a filter on my app), and I LOVE the zipper on the back. It elevates the styling without me having to do any extra work. I adore little details like zippers and random buttons on clothing. As my sister would say "useless buttons are the best!"

The jeans are JustFab denim. They have zipper detailing on them too but in this case it's covered by the blouse. If you haven't tried JF denim, you should! It's super comfy and stretchy, and ranges in size equivalents from 0 to 22. 

The flats are from b.o.c. (an off-shoot of Born) and are really comfortable. I think everyone should own a pair of leopard ballet flats. They go with way more than you think they do. I truly believe that leopard is a neutral. I'll even link you to a couple of good pairs here, here, and here. 

If you're interested in signing up for JustFab, use my referral link here and get your first pair 20% off, but be sure to read the terms and conditions as it is a shoe club and you'll need to either purchase each month or log in between the 1st and the 5th to "skip the month". 

If you're interested in signing up for ThredUp, use my referral link here and get $10 off your first order. 

Happy Shopping!

Tell Me About: Walmart Beauty Box

I'm starting a new segment I'm calling "Tell Me About...Tuesdays". Every Tuesday, I will be telling you about a site that I love, a product I'm excited about, or a brand that I can't get enough of.

To kick the segment off, I'm going to be telling you about the Walmart Beauty Box. It's a new box that Walmart is putting out 4 times a year, and all you pay is $5 for shipping. You do have to subscribe to receive them and there isn't the ability to skip, but $20 for a year is pretty good and quite affordable. Especially after you see what's in it. You can sign up here.

From what I can tell, there are 2 possible boxes this season, and it looks like they are based on age.

Here's what I got in my box:

CoverGirl Glowing Nights Glosstinis Nail Polish in After Dark (full size) $2.97

At first I thought this was sample size, but after looking at the website it's the full size. It seems everyone who got the same box I did could've received any of the colors.

L'Oreal Paris Glossy Balm in Pink Me Up (full size) $6.97

It's a bit too pink for every day wear but it can be dressed up.

Secret Clinical Strength Completely Clean Clear Gel (full size) $11.97

This alone is more than twice the cost of the box, and (hopefully) everyone wears deodorant.

That's all of the full size samples, but if you've been doing the math, those are worth $21.91. So clearly the box is worth the shipping.

Dove Advanced Series Oxygen Moisture Shampoo, Conditioner, and Pure Care Dry Oil Nourishing Hair Treatment (sample size)

These smell AMAZING!

Nicki Minaj Pink Friday Eau de Parfum Spray (sample size)

Eh. It doesn't smell terrible.

L'Oreal Paris Youth Code Pore Vanisher (sample size)

Haven't tried this yet, but it says it reduces the look of pores in one month. Clearly there isn't enough here for a month of use, so I'm not sure how much of the effectiveness I could judge from the sample.

Neutrogena Nourishing Long Wear Makeup (sample size). I couldn't find the exact match for this on Walmart's website so it must be super new.

It's nice that they send you the palette so you can decide what tone you are before you buy. One of the benefits of being super pale is that I just always choose the lightest color they carry and it's usually a match.

So that's it for the box. Hopefully you find this new segment useful. If there's something specific you've seen in one of my previous posts that you'd like to know more about, or you've discovered something fun that you think might be up my alley, let me know and I'll try to feature it in an upcoming Tell Me About Tuesday segment!

Happy Shopping! 

What I Wore To Church - Learning to Love My Arms

(Outfit details have been moved to the bottom of the page!) Happy Sunday! I have a confession to make. I have a love affair with mustard. I love that fall is rolling around so I can wear it all the time. Any time I see it on a rack, I have to investigate that particular piece of clothing, and I usually end up walking out of the store with it (after paying of course). I'm sure I've mentioned my obsession with polka dots too, so you can see why this top appeals to me. 

The one thing about this shirt that I'm not in love with? The sleeves. They have elastic hems so they accentuate my not perfectly toned arms, but my honesty last week has inspired me to continue the trend and to work on loving myself more. So today, I wore the shirt, sans cardigan with my arms out in all their chubby glory. Guess what! Nobody cared. No one jeered or looked away in horror. No one made rude comments. No one shunned me for my less than perfect body. 

It's clear to me that what we perceive to be our "problem areas" are usually not a problem to anyone but ourselves (and if someone else does have a problem with it, they aren't worth your time). So don't be afraid to wear something you love because you're worried it doesn't perfectly conceal your tummy. Don't over layer (and over heat yourself) just to hide your "chubby arms". Don't give up wearing capris or shorts just because you're concerned someone is judging your super white (or scrawny, or scarred, or whatever!) legs. Wear what makes you feel confident, because that confidence is the first thing people will notice. You can pull off more than you think you can. 

Outfit Details:

Top: Cato Fashions

Skirt: ModCloth Breathtaking Tiger Lilies Skirt in Stem Green

Shoes: H&M Ballet Flats