making our house a home | thrifty home decor

I'm always showing off all of my thrifted clothes, but I don't only dress myself with thrifted items, a lot of my home is dressed in thrifted decor!  Here are some of the goodies I've found since we've moved into our house:

  My parent's found these bar-stools for us brand new at an auction & scored all 3 for only $80! My mom said they retail for about $150 each   Canvas Picture: Goodwill $3.99 I plan on putting it in our guest bathroom once I find a shower curtain & rug to match   Kirkland's brand new with tags picture in frame: Goodwill $12.00 This picture still had the Kirkland's tag on it that said $59.99!  Then the Goodwill had it marked for $24, but everything in the Goodwill was 50% the day I went in because they were having a moving sale... so it's like I got it for a total of 20% of the original price wow!   Wine Rack: Goodwill $3.99   Vintage Tin: Garage Sale $1   Pitcher: Bargain World Thrift Store $3 | Other Decoration: $5.99 (not sure what you call this but I absolutely love it and I based my colors in my kitchen and dining room off of this!)   Mail Holder: Goodwill $4.99   Brand new with tags ($20): Goodwill $5.99   Candle holders: St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store $1.75 each | Candles: Goodwill $1 each Smaller vintavge tin: Garage Sale $1 Our house is slowly but surely coming along and hopefully in a few months I'll be able to show y'all a fully decorated room! Whoop whoop! 

preppy

Dress: Target $7 (on clearance 70% off for $9 and then an extra 20% clearance items!) | Cardigan: Target $9 (on clearance for $11 & then extra 20% off) | BCBG Flats: Marshall's $25 (clearance) | Forever 21 Necklace: Goodwill $1.99 Total Outfit Cost: $42.99
I loved this outfit the day I wore it, but looking at these pictures, I really don't care for this outfit. Some outfits just don't photo well, including this one. And I think I just changed my mind about it. I really love this dress though, so maybe I'll try it again a different way this week.  How would you style this dress? 

Also, I entered the Chippmuck.com's Expert Shopper Contest with my coral blazer outfit. Help me win by loving my look here! By the way, you can vote each day too. Please go vote :)

unblogworthy + what happens when your husband agrees to take your blog pictures

shirt: appricot lane, gift carded (but on clearance for only $6!) | LC Jeans: Kohl's, gift carded | Sandals: Rack Room Shoes $24 (I think)

Total Outfit Cost: $24

This outfit has zero styling whatsoever. It is literally just me in a t-shirt and jeans. And while most bloggers wouldn't post an outfit like this for fear of it being "unblogworthy," I say blogworthy smlogworthy. I wore this outfit to work on a casual Friday, and then to Larry and I's Friday night date to my favorite Mexican restaurant in town, and I thought it was cute, so here's a picture of me in it. 

And for shitsandgiggles here is the reason I set up my tripod in the backyard and take pictures of my own little happy self....

For one, my husband sucks at taking pictures. I purposely didn't crop this picture. I wanted to show y'all his raw talent... And two, I just end up taking silly pictures like this one when he's taking my picture! I don't think anyone would ever take my blog seriously if all of my pictures looked like this, amiright?
Also, I entered the Chippmuck.com's Expert Shopper Contest with my coral blazer outfit. Help me win by loving my look here! By the way, you can vote each day too. Please go vote :)

bridals | part II | the abandoned church

Make sure you read part one of my bridals to read the story on how we almost didn't find this gorgeous church!

As soon as we got done taking these pictures, we got in the car and Sarah had texted Tate telling him she found the church! We drove back down that highway until we saw Sarah' s car on side of the road... in front of a fence. A fence with no gate. Ummmm. How's this gonna work?

So, my sister climbs over the fence, Tate gets on all fours, and there's still no way I'mm getting over that fence. With a mermaid style dress you can't lift your foot up very high! We end up unzipping my dress and I hold it to where it's still on me and I pull it up so that I can step up on to Tate's back. I then pretty much jumped into my sister's arms on the other side and luckily she caught me!

That's where this picture comes into play. We pretty much jetted across this huge cow pasture dodging cow patties to get to Sarah waving her arms in excitement. All of this seriously felt like we were in some sort of movie. It was just a whirlwind of excitement when we got past the cow pasture and saw the church. Oh yeah and another fence! Once again, Tate had to get on all fours and my mom and sister helped pick me up and Sarah caught me on the other side this time.

The church was everything I thought it would be, and though we had to rush through pictures because of the sun going down, I couldn't be happier with the way they turned out. Tate is seriously the best photographer!

Oh and after we were done taking pictures we saw that there was a dirt road leading to the church! So, we didn't need to jump the fences after all!! haha
& right after this picture was taken Tate saw a snake! We were so scared! We didn't know whether to walk slow around it so it wouldn't notice us or to run fast around it... we ended up running! :)

mint & navy

Cynthia Rowley Blouse: TJ Maxx $12 (clearance)  | Mint Skinnies: Charlotte Russe, gifted | Wedges: Forever 21 $29.80 | Bubble Necklace: eBay $7  Total Outfit Cost: $48.80
I confess... I didn't wear these heels to work. Though these are wedges, they aren't very comfortable, which wouldn't be so bad since I am just sitting at a desk all day, but we don't have a bathroom in our office. Meaning I have to walk far to get to it. I actually have to walk even further because the one on our floor is normally gross. Am I really talking about bathrooms on my blog? Anyways, I actually wore my nude flats with this outfit but I thought these nude wedges looked better so here there are! 
Also, I entered the Chippmuck.com's Expert Shopper Contest with my coral blazer outfit. Help me win by loving my look here! By the way, you can vote each day too. Please go vote :)

happiness is...

Shirt: American Eagle $6 (clearance) | Maxx Studio Pants: TJ Maxx $30 | BCBG Flats: Marshall's $25 (clearance)  Total Outfit Cost: $61
Yesterday Nicole inspired me to write down a list each day of the things that made me happy.
Today happiness is... -exactly one month of a happy marriage -a customer who told me that I have been so helpful throughout her claim process -an amazing workout provided by my personal trainer/hubby -saying hubby ;) -tuesday= my two favorite shows! pretty little liArs & so you think you can dance!
Also, I entered the Chippmuck.com's Expert Shopper Contest with my coral blazer outfit from yesterday. Help me win by loving my look here! By the way, you can vote each day too. So if you vote, I'll add you to be happiness is list ;) 

the coral blazer strikes again

LC Lauren Conrad Blazer: Kohl's  $24 | Maxx Studio Pants: $30 | AE Shirt: Goodwill $3.49 | Bracelets: Goodwill $2 & $2.99 | Wedges: Target $20 Total Outfit Cost: $82.48
Y'all know I couldn't go too long without posting an outfit in my coral blazer! I swear the outfits are endless in this blazer. It's seriously one of my favorite and most versatile things in my closet! I love the contrast of the turquoise with the coral too. Eventually I'll pair it with my turquoise bubble necklace... even if other bloggers aren't wearing theirs anymore. I'll still be sporting mine for at least a few more months!

striped skirt 4 ways

Shirt: Forever 21: $20 | Skirt: Old Navy, gift carded (but only $12) | Charlotte Russe Flats: Goodwill $3.49 Total Outfit Cost: $23.49 That awkward moment... when your coworker tells you they saw that their friend pinned a picture of you in that skirt on Pinterest. So now my co-workers know about my blog, and for some reason I'm so embarrassed! I really shouldn't be though! I started this blog to inspire people, and heck, the more people I can inspire the better I guess!  Just the fact that I take pictures of myself as a hobby is embarrassing is what I really mean haha. Check out how versatile this skirt is!  1 | 2 | 3 | 4

a wear anywhere dress

Dress: Apricot Lane, gift carded | Flats: Payless $24 

Total Outfit Cost: $24

Know what's cool about having your birthday? Getting a gift card to place you don't normally shop because it's too expensive. Then, going to said place and seeing a rack that says 75% off. Then, getting 2 dresses, a top, and 2 pairs of earrings for less than the original price of just one of the dresses. Yepp. This happened. 

My wonderful co-workers got me a gift card to Apricot Lane for my birthday, and that's where I got this dress for a whopping $10! It was originally $42! I love this dress because it's one of those dresses that can be worn anywhere. I wore it to work like this, but I could throw on some heels or wedges with a pretty necklace and wear this somewhere nice, or I could put it on with sandals and a braided belt and wear it casual! 

Linking up with| Third Thursday Threads: Geometric Prints

bridals | part I

Quite a few months ago, they played a video at church that was in this gorgeous old church. After the video, both my mom and I looked at either other and said that we have got to do my bridal pictures there! She messaged our pastor on facebook to ask him where the church is, and he told us it was the abandoned St. Mary's Episcopal Church in St. Francisville, La. I used my wonderful google skills and found the address to the church and sent it to my photographer, Tate. 
 The day of my bridals, I got my hair and makeup done. My makeup took a tad bit longer than expected, so we got a late start to heading to the church. Once we we're finally on our way, we got stuck in Baton Rouge 5 o'clock traffic, and if you're from the area, you know how bad that can be. It was terrible, and I felt so bad because I didn't want to hold Tate up. I texted him , though, and him and his wife, Sarah, weren't too far ahead of us, caught in the traffic too. I was still worried about time, though! These pictures were going to be taken outside, so we've gotta take them before the sun goes down!
Tate makes it to the church about 10 minutes before us, and texts me a picture of the church... WRONG CHURCH. We then show up to the address the GPS brought us to. YEPP WRONG CHURCH. 

OMG was all I was thinking. Where the heck are we and where is my church?? Trying not to panic, we all started searching the church on our phones, and turns out it doesn't even have an address. The address I had found and sent to Tate was to a St. Mary's Episcopal Church... but one not nearly as old or as beautiful.  
Tate tells us that his friend who lives in St. Fancisville told him what road to go down to find it.  So, we drive another 45 minutes.  We drive up and down this hwy that the church is supposed to be on, and there's no church anywhere. I start getting bummed and realize now we just need to find somewhere to take pictures.  We see these little old slave cabins (shown in the pictures above) and decide that that will work.  
 But not for Sarah, Tate's wife. She was DETERMINED to find the church. While we stayed and took pictures, she drove back down the hwy to look for it....
I leave you with this picture of me, mom, and my sister in a cow pasture.... find out if we ever found the church in part II of my bridal pictures!! ;)