Winter Wishlist

coat, bracelet, chambray, booties, pumps, bag, skirt, boots, wallet

When it comes to winter wardrobe, I go with warmth. (It's the old lady in me)

In all seriousness, finding practical, warm and stylish clothes is not as easy as it sounds. 

Couple things on this list are not essential and more of a want than a need. 

Although, I do have my eye on this coat (praying for a better sale) and a pair of black booties. 

Hope you have a great weekend and get ready for the cold months, be that organizing your closet or insulating your house. 

Let the shopping begin!

Cheap 'n Good

dress: Target
sweater: Gap
shoes: Payless
bag: Target

Why is it when you shop at different stores, you judge the price point differently? If I'm in J.Crew and they have a dress on sale for $50 I will think it's a steal but then when I'm in Target and dress for $35 seems like a highway robbery.

The quality, for one, is definitely an issue and, although I do love boutique stores and designer apparel, nothing makes you feel better then knowing you scored a great buy for a low price.  

I've said it before and I will say it again - Target is my domain. I can rarely walk out of there without a sweater or pair of jeans. No, really, it's that bad.

Honestly, unless you are loaded (and I'm not) buying designer clothes for everyday wear seems ridiculous. Of course, every girl needs wants a designer handbag and a pair of statement shoes or jewelry, but for day to day wear, it's simply not practical. Geeesh, look who's talking about practical.

To sum it up, cheap 'n good is the stuff my closet is made off (with a few exceptions) but I still want a pair of booties and a handbag.

It's definitely a girl thing. And there is no stopping it.

Hope you have a great day!

October {Budgeting Series}

plaid shirt - $14.95 (H&M)
brown boots - $33.95 (DSW)
black booties - $24.95 (Old Navy)
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TOTAL: $73.85

I can't believe we are in November already... The cold weather is upon us and I'm not a fan already. Honestly, when I sat down to calculate my total for this month, I could not think of anything else I bought except these three items. 

Well, technically I bought more (it was my birthday month after all) but ended up returning most of it. Like these Coach booties that I found in TJMaxx were gorgeous and comfy but the soles seemed too thin for winter. Also, the J.Crew crossbody had so many scratches on it, I had to return it. It seemed to have a very poor quality leather material.

I'm so happy I stayed withing my budget ($100) and to be completely honest, it's getting easier to do so. I'm forcing myself to wear everything I have, remixing and styling in different ways. Also, controlling myself at every sale sign and especially in Target helps a lot. Thinking critically about every piece and 'do it NEED it' or 'do I WANT it' approach is helping me avoid unnecessary purchases.

This month I'm all about winter staples which are going to last me for years to come. Since I have some gifts from my birthday, this month's shopping should be really fun. Will report back after Thanksgiving. 

Hope you have a great day, be inspired to stay withing your budget and link up below! 

Unpopular Choice (or Why We Don't Celebrate Halloween)

source

I have had a burden on my heart for a couple of years now to write this post but haven't found the right words. Also, being unpopular and not following crowd publicly is tough, especially knowing that it may cost you. This may not be popular, or politically correct or even go with what your church may say, but it's worth saying. 

My heart is saddened by all that I see during this time of year and clearly I want to make a) my opinion well established b) persuade someone else to take the road less traveled.

On the eve of the most evil and dark holiday, I want to talk to Christians who know better. If you aren't a Christian, this article isn't for you.

Every time I see a professing Christian talk about their Halloween celebration, I cringe. It makes me sad knowing that those who will be celebrating the true meaning of Christmas, glorifying God in their hearts just few weeks ahead, take the time to celebrate evil and darkness. In no way shape or form am I an expert, or theologically experienced in any kinds of debates. I'm just a mother who wants to make sure that her child will grow up knowing the truth and not be blinded by the 'feel good' mantra of this holiday.

As Christians our family does not celebrate Halloween .

We do not get dressed up (even in 'good' characters), we do not carve pumpkins (even with smiley faces), decorate our house (even with Disney characters), we do not give out candy (even to the Christian kids in church) and we do not celebrate Harvest instead. We choose to not participate in any part of it.

To many of you, this may seem harsh and stone-age like but let me explain why this holiday should have no place in our homes, hearts and especially children's activities.

- Halloween is a celebration of darkness, evil, death and lies. It takes something that's evil (like trickery and mischief) and puts a fun spin on it. Only because there is candy and super hero (or even Bible hero) costumes involved doesn't mean it's wholesome or good.

- Witchcraft, zombies, death and evil spirits are definitely have nothing to do with God. They glorify evil, they associate with darkness, viciousness and wickedness (which are part of demonic forces).

- The most important part of this holiday is children. They dress up (seems like fun), get together with friends (more fun) and go trick-or-treating ( promising to do mischief if not received candy). It's all done under the false pretense of innocent entertainment but is it really? If the holiday itself is evil why would we as Christians would want our children to have any part of it? Parents are the ones who know better.

- The origins of Halloween are of pagan religion, dressed up with Catholic church's celebration of all saints. None of these are found in God's word and both celebrate dead. God is life and full of goodness and everything that's opposite of that has nothing to do with the Lord. Therefore we should have nothing to do with it either. 

- There are many references and clear verses in the Bible (look here) where God clearly speaks about evil of witches, charmers, talking to the dead and sorceress. Many times when God's people went in the ways of Pagan religions (exactly where Halloween originated) and celebrated their holidays, they lost His blessing. 

- As Christians, we are supposed to be different. The people in this world know that, but for some reason Christians don't. Associating with such holiday and its practices we are condoning and giving place to the evil that clearly marks this day. If this day has even a hint of horror, corruption and immorality we should not take part in it.

Researching the origins of Halloween, studying Bible and what it says about such practices, and looking at this from the Christian point of view makes it very clear. No amount of persuasion or guilt-tripping will make you change your mind but praying and asking God to show you what's right and good may just give a whole different perspective on this day. 

More articles about this are here 1 , 2 , 3

*Disclaimer*

This is not meant as an attack at anyone I know or those who don't agree with me.

 All profane and degrading comments will be deleted.

Statement

sweater: Gap
vest: Land's End
skirt: thrifted
boots: from Belarus
necklace: ILY Couture

Every outfit is just an outfit until you add accessories. A statement necklace and few bangles, a scarf and a designer handbag can really spice up a boring get up. 

There were times when I went overboard and piled on everything I could find; and then there were times when an outfit was just blah. But really knowing when to add and when not to add the right kind of  accessories is a skill.

Sometimes it's easy getting dressed and look stylish but others, not so much.

There is a reason why some bloggers are very successful and others are not; why some women look stylish and others look trashy. It takes some common sense and an eye for balance. Also it takes planning of the outfits and maybe tiny bit of pinning. 

In all seriousness, nobody has so much imagination and creative stride to put together a 'blog-worthy' outfit every time, but with planning and correct amount of accessories it really can happen. Probably not every time but often enough to make you feel like a fashionista. 

Hope you have a great day!