Fab Deal on Fab Boots!

My office is business casual.  So this time of year, I often wear pants with boots or skirts with tights and high boots.  Well, its come time to replace the boots I have. 

I stick with two basic colors for boots.  I like to have a pair of ankle boots and tall boots in both brown and black.  One would think this should be a fairly easy thing to find.  And for most woman, it probably is.  However, this proves to be more of a "hunt" for me.  The big reason is because I have wide calfs.  This makes fitting into boots, espeically the tall style a little more difficult.

There are some stores that offer boots in Wide Calf, but everything I was finding was more than I wanted to spend; $75 or more.

Today I took a shot a Shoe Carnivale in Aurora, IL.  I took a glance around the store and didn't see anything that was catching my eye.  On my way out I passed this very small metal rack that was marked Clearance.  I stopped and looked and found the awesome brown leather ankle boots.  There were only 4 pairs (and I have a pretty common shoe size) so I didn't think I'd find my size...but I did.  Tried them on and LOVED them. 

I took a look on the other side of the rack and found a tall black pair of boots, only one pair in this style.  Sure enough, ended up being my size!

I was already excited as I headed over to the cashier.  The brown ankle boots were normally priced at $49.99, but were on sale for $25.00.  The black pair normally sold for $59.99, but were on sale for $30.00.  So I was even more excited when the cashier told me that all clearance items were an additional 50% off.  So I ended up getting both pair of boots for $27.50!!!!!

Lesson:  Always stop to take a look!  If you move too quickly, you might miss an opportunity to save huge money!!!

Boot Accessories!

Given the weather around most of the country, we are all sporting boots!  So how about talking about some Boot Accessories!

Personally, I have always struggled with getting my pants tucked in my boots just the right way so that my pant leg looks smooth.  Since I don't have a figure that works with skinny jeans, I always have this bulge at my ankles from where my jeans have bunched up.  Or better yet, I resort to the 1980's fashion tip of tight rolling my jeans!  (Can't believe I just admitted that).  However, this presents a bit of an issue when going to a friends house; you are in a mad dash to unroll your jeans as soon as you take your boots off so NO ONE dares see that you actually...tight rolled your jeans!  So imagine how excited I was while standing in line at Jo Ann Fabrics last night, staring aimlessly at all the useless stuff they try to get to you buy while you wait for the next available cashier, something that is actually practical and I have a need for!

That's right, boot straps.  GENIUS!  You cuff your pant leg at the ankle and then slide on these little miracles!  They will then hold your pants down when putting on your boots. 

I found these at Jo Ann Fabrics, but Bed Bath & Beyond has them for the same price, $11.99.  Then if you add one of the 20% off coupons they mail out all the time, you can get these gems for $9.60 plus tax!  In my opinion, totally worth it!

Next, Boot Socks.  No, I'm not talking about extra thick socks you wear to keep your feet warm when you are wearing boots.  I'm talking about the extra long socks that add a little pizazz to your pant/boot duo. 

 

You can get these at lots of different shoe stores, but I like the selection at Amazon.com.  They offer many different styles to choose from and for the most reasonable price.

Lastly, here is one that is for the very fashion forward.  Boot Toppers. These great detachable accessories you can add to your boots. 



These are from this awesome little shop in Hinsdale, IL; Q.T. Gifts and Accessories.  This is a great little shop that I just love!  They just started their Facebook page which I highly recommend. 

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/QT-Apparel-Gifts-Accessories/175408772526459

I have been to their store and their is so much fun stuff there, I may have to do a post just on all their fun accessories!

Hmmmmm.....



What goes with this shirt?

Today I was thinking, is would probably be best to start off by discussing colors-the basics, if you will.  We are all so used to thinking that only blues go with blue, reds go with red and so on.  But fashion and accessorizing doesn't follow that rule anymore.  Adding color and using it as a focal point of your outfit is a great way to personalize your normal, everyday business suit or even just a plain colored shirt or sweater.

If your someone who wears business suits, try adding a pop of color in the shirt you wear or maybe even your shoes.  I have a black pant suit that I wear often, and my favorite is to pair them up with these great heels I found at T. J. Maxx over a year ago.  I also pair the shoes up with my dark wash jeans and a plain gray or black sweater when I'm going on a date night with my husband.

 If you're not used to using colors like this, start off slow.  Pick one piece that has a pop of color and add it to your outfit.

The pop of color doesn't always have to come from your clothes or shoes either.  Here, I have added Premier's Firecracker to a plain cream colored shirt and sweater, both of which I purchased from T.J. Maxx.

If you are new at this way of thinking, here is another tool that might be helpful.  Use this colorwheel to help determine what color to accessorize with.  Pick colors on the opposite side of the color wheel as you are wearing.  For example, if you are wearing blue, accessorize with something orange.

This will surely help you put pieces that you already have in your wardrobe and create new outfits.  



Introduction, to the World...and to Blogging!

Well, here it is.  My first official post as a blogger.  Blogging is a fairly new thing to me.  While searching on the internet a few weeks ago, I stummbled acorss a blog.  Having never really reading one, I took a few moments to see what it was all about.  Very interesting.  People have so much to say, so much to share.  I thought to myself, if I had a blog, what would I say?

The more I thought about it, the more I felt I had things I could share too!  I work, I'm a mom, I'm a wife...but I'm also a young woman.  I want to follow the latest fashion trends, know what colors are hot for next season, fun new ways to fix my hair, latest accessories...and I want to know how can I do this without spending a small fortune.  And I'm pretty good at doing this!  I'm sure there are other woman out there that want to know these things too. 

My hopes were if I create a place, where I share what I know and other great deals that I find...hopefully others will find that useful too.

One of the things you'll see a lot on here is talk of jewelry...I LOVE JEWELRY!  About a year ago I became an independent consultant for Premier Designs Jewelry.  Yes, it gives me some extra spending money, gets me out of the house a few nights a month but the best part is...all the jewelry I sell, I get to wear every day!  It's great to wake up and have trays and trays of jewelry to look thru and coordinate with an outfit. 

So, welcome to my little corner of the internet world