march closet additions

1. Forever 21 Cardigan: $9
I've been needing a black, lightweight cardi to throw on at work when I wear short sleeves. When it came in the mail the other day, it's a little big in the shoulders/arms, so I'm not sure if I'm keeping it or not. I'm wondering if I dry it in the dryer if it'll shrink and fit right.

2. Forver 21 Chambray shirt: $23
I went on to Forever 21's website because they had free shipping and I just couldn't pass up the offer. I ended up falling in love with this shirt!

3. Mossimo Palazzo Pants: Target $20 [same but different print]
SO comfy and perfect. I 100% plan on wearing these once a week. I also just ordered these (same pants, different color and print) because I couldn't get enough.

4. Old Navy Slip on Sneakers:  Orginally $25, on sale for $18, used return credit= $6

5. Xhilaration Cap: Target $7 
I've been needing a baseball cap to throw on for the weekends, this one was simple and perfect.

6. Floral Shirt: Marshall's $20 
I don't typically spend $20 on tops, but this one really caught my eye and I sold some clothes to Plato's Closet and Style Encore so I had some extra cash on me to plurge.

7. Lulu*s Leopard Flats:  $17
Finally! I've replaced my good ole' leopard flats. Those babies were falling apart. Like my old ones, hese flats aren't the best quality, but they were exactly what I was looking for, and they fit the bill. I love love love the Steve Madden ones, but y'all know I am far too cheap to spend $80 on flats.

8. [Not pictured] Just Fab Credit: $40
Oh Just Fab, you got me again. I forgot to "skip this month," so you took my $40 that I can't get back. I ended up ordering these open toe booties. They were cute to the side, but the front of the shoe looked weird because they come up so high. I have to wait until my return processes to order something new... sigh.

Total Spent $142 - Clothes sold at Plato's and Style Encore $60 = $82

thrifty style link up

Forever 21 Blouse: Plato's Closet $6 Pants: The Limited: (sale + coupon) $20 Earrings: Forever 21 (sale) $4 Heels: Target (bogo sale) $22 Total Outfit Cost: $52

Hey guys! Last week some other thrifty bloggers and I shared our best thrifting tips. I told y'all to come back today and link up to share y'alls thrifted outfits... welllll I kinda forgot all about the link up today.. oops! Work has been a little crazy this week, so my brain is complete mush by the time I get home.... OK But really, I'm just no good at this whole organized blogging thing. I actually had scheduled a different post this morning and it went live for over an hour and I took it down so I could post the link up today, so if you saw that post and now it's gone, that's why. Sorry!

Anyways! On to the link up! I can't wait to see your thrifted pieces/outfits. I always love seeing what goodies others find at thrift stores whether it's that amazing fossil bag or cute little vintage ring. I thrifted this pretty turquoise blouse from Plato's months ago, but I don't think it's made it's way to the blog yet. I absolutely love the color of it and the pretty gold buttons. It's the perfect work blouse!

Be sure to head on over to all of the co-hosts, Lauren, Jen, Whitney, and Laura's blogs to see their thrifty outfits! 

An InLinkz Link-up

oriental...

Dress: Old Navy $5 Belt: Goodwill $1 Booties: Plato's Closet $12 Jacket: Old Navy, gifted Total Outfit Cost: $18
Sunday morning I was getting ready for church. It was definitely one of those mornings where I couldn't find anything to wear. So I'm totally one of those wives that asks their husbands for advice. After trying on three different dresses and failing, I came out with this dress. I had already made up my decision to wear the dress, but since I had asked his opinion on the other three, I figured I let him give his input on this one. So I say, "alright, what about this one?" He didn't say anything at first, so I'm like this couldn't be good. Then he says, "I like it. It just looks very oriental." Me- "Oriental?!" Him- "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I've seen that dress on Mulan." 
Apparently floral = oriental in my husband's mind. What am I gonna do with him?? 

the basics about me

Lauren Conrad Blouse: Kohl's (clearance + coupon) $8 Pants: Old Navy $26 Boots: JCP (sale) $45 Necklace: forever 21 $6 Kate Spade purse: Christmas gift from my hubby Total Outfit Cost: $85
A couple weeks ago I shared 10 random things about myself. I was shocked when a couple of you said that y'all didn't really know much about me! I guess that I don't really share that much about myself on my blog, but I'm going to try to more for sure! So today, I'd thought I'd start with sharing the basics about myself: 
My name is Danielle. I've been married to my college sweetheart for almost 2 years. We live in Louisiana with our toy poodle, Charlie. I graduated college with a degree in business management (so did my husband). I didn't really know exactly what I wanted to be other than a boss, so I thought that major would suit me. I work daily as a claims adjuster for auto accidents. I grew up dancing. I don't dance anymore unless you consider my living room or my car a dance floor. I've always been a big Disney nerd, and I've actually worked in Disney World through the Disney College Program. I love thrift shopping and bargain hunting, which is why I started this blog. I also enjoy decorating my home, cooking for my husband (even if it isn't always that great), and doing DIY projects. 
And so y'all can get to know more about me, I'm going to do an ask me anything post! Feel free to comment below with your questions or you can email them to me at goodwillista@gmail.com and I'll be answering them in a post soon. :)

expert tips from seasoned thrifters

The struggle is real when it comes to thrifting. It's really not as easy as "walk into thrift store, find amazing things." It really does take skill! Today I have teamed up with some fabulous other bloggers to share some of our best thrifting tips. 

Read on to meet each thrifter, see an outfit from her own closet styled with almost entirely thrifted pieces, and one of her secrets to thrifting success. Stop on over to each of their blogs to find even more of their secrets that land them unbelievable style finds for a fraction of the price and ten-fold the fun. 

Thrifting Tip: "I have found that either thrifting online or determining which local thrift store has the best clothing can save you lots of time when thrifting. I am a busy person and although I like saving money, I don't have extra time to visit several stores. Finding the one store near me that yields great finds again and again has really helped me with saving time and money!"

Hear more from Laura on her blog, I Do deClaire, and on social media, where she shares loads of daily outfit points full of great style ideas, many in secondhand pieces.
Blog // Bloglovin' // Instagram

Thrifting Tip: "Travel! I love checking out the local thrift stores when I go out of town somewhere! It gives you a whole new set of goodies to look through if you've been going to the thrift stores in your area so much that you see the same things you saw before. Also, take note of the areas you're thrifting in. If you visit a thrift store in a wealthier part of town, you are likely to find more name brand/nicer things. When I was in college, I'd find a lot of junior's clothes at our local Goodwill which is not surprising since it was a college town!"

You can find a more of my thrifting tips here.

Danielle showcases endless secondhand looks on her blog, Goodwillista. Be sure to stop by and say hello on social media
Blog // Instagram // Facebook

Thrifting Tip: "I have several (check them out here and here) but the one thrift tip I'm adamant about is to be patient. To be a successful thrifter, you need time and patience. You will find that item but you may have to look a bit longer or go to another thrift store. Don't give up...your thrifted treasure is out there!"

Whitney shares all about her thrifting adventures, so stop on over and drop her a note on social media too.
Blog // Instagram // Twitter

Thrifting Tip: "Try to ignore the size tags. Different brands and vintage items fit differently. If you like something (even if you aren't sure it will fit), try it on! It may look much better on you than on the hanger. You never know when you'll find your next wardrobe staple!"

Check out more of Lauren's style and thrifting tips on her blog, Exploring My Style, and on social media as well.
Blog // Bloglovin' // Instagram

Thrifting Tip: "You can find a collection of tips in my Secondhand Style Guide. One of my favorites, however, reflects the time required to find the right piece. I suppose it has two parts. First, plan plenty of time for a trip to the thrift shop, an hour or more. If you head over and feel rushed, you'll most certainly end up overwhelmed and frustrated. Second, when you arrive, start examining the racks by quickly flipping through and focusing on the material of the fabric. High end, well-cared for items will stand out quickly. This trick has saved me mountains of time examining pieces that don't meet my quality criteria."

Jen is a life and style blogger with a focus on style for working women. She shares all sorts of affordable and socially conscious style ideas for a day at the office. You can find her on her blog, Fashionably Employed, and on social media as well.
Blog // Pinterest // Twitter

Now we have a challenge for y'all. Put these tips to good use, and come back next Thursday to link up your thrifted outfits!!

all thrifted

Old Navy Shirt: Garage Sale $1 Banana Republic Skirt: Goodwill $3.50 Booties: Plato's Closet $12 Necklace (that you can't really see): Groopdealz $9 Total Outfit Cost: $25.50
This outfit is comprised of pieces thrifted from my 3 favorite places to thrift shop! 1st- garage sales. I cannot wait for it to be warm outside so people start having lots of garage sales. For me, garage sales are where you really find the real deals. Instead of shirts starting at $3, they start at 25 cents usually! 2nd- Goodwill. I honestly have a love/hate relationship with Goodwill lately. I used to find such great things at the one where I went to college. But now the one where I live sucks! I rarely find things lately. Which is why you've been seeing less thrifted pieces in my outfits for the past year and a half. This skirt was found at a Goodwill in Baton Rouge almost 3 years ago and I'm always hoping to find another like it because I love the way it fits. Lastly, Plato's Closet. At Plato's you may have to sort through all the teeney bopper clothes, but there are totally some diamonds in the rough to find at Plato's! We're actually getting a Style Encore soon which I'm suuuuper excited about. Style Encore is a sister store to Plato's that sells women's brand instead of juniors brands.
Tomorrow I've teamed up with some other bloggers to share our best thrifting tips, so be sure to stop back on by! We'll also be having a thrifted outfits linkup next Thursday March 26th!

monday funday

Tommy Girl Button Up: Instagram shop $15 American Eagle tee: Goodwill $3.50 Pants: The Limited (50% off + $20 coupon) $20 [here] Boots: Just Fab $40 Necklace: Charming Charlie $4?? Total Outfit Cost: $82.50
It's Monday! Oh joy! Right?! Well for me it is actually. I'm on the Tuesday to Saturday shift this month which sucks until Monday rolls around and you realize that you don't have to get up for work and you can sleep in as late as you want to. 
So while I prop my feet up on the coffee table and you all are at work, I thought I'd at least provide you with a little humor for your Monday. Ok, so go to Google. Type in pug and any dog breed mix and look at the pictures. Funniest looking dogs in the world! My personal fave is the pug + poodle mix (pugapoo?). Disclaimer: I am so sorry if you have a pug mix of any sort. I am sure he's the cutest dog in the world. Next to my Charlie of course. ;)
But honestly, I'm actually not on the couch today with my feet propped up (I did that yesterday). I have errands to run today! I'll be grocery shopping and bringing Charlie poo to the vet for her yearly shots. I'm praying that she's an angel like she was last year. She didn't even flinch when they gave her the shots! I was such a proud puppy mama!

ten things

Mossimo Skirt: Instagram shop $7 Old Navy Shirt: Garage Sale $1 Booties: Just Fab $12 Scarf: Charming Charlie (on sale) $5 Total Outfit Cost: $25
I've seen a few other bloggers (Fran, Nicole, and Alissa) share 10 things that you might not know about them, and I love learning random tidbits about others, so I figured I'd join in too!
10 things you might not know about me: 1. When I was younger, some kid told me I looked like Mary kate and Ashley Olsen and I thought it was the best thing in the world. I used to bring pictures of them to my hairdresser to copy their hair cuts.    2. I never ever ever miss a meal. I religiously eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner.    3. I'm addicted to and watch WAY too much TV. If I listed all of the shows I watch and record you'd be shocked.    4. My hair is naturally dirty, dishwater blonde. It's ugly. I got my first highlights in the 5th grade and kept getting more and more from then on until I had a head full of pretty blonde locks.    5. I started dancing at the age of 5. I started competing in dance at 6. It's my favorite past time and I miss it more than ever. I fully plan on being a crazy dance mom one day. But my luck I'll either be blessed with all boys or my girl will want to cheer. Lol.   6. My favorite type of food is a close run between Mexican and Greek/Lebanese. Give me everything Mexican or some chicken shawarma and gyros any day and I am one happy girl.    7. I've traveled to 3 countries so far- Spain, Costa Rica, and Jamaica. If I could live in Spain, I would. It was absolutely amazing. I hope to travel there again one day with my hubby.   8. I'm scared to death of spiders. So scared that I can't even kill them or step on them.    9. I was a cat person all my life until we got our toy poodle Dutchess. She was my first puppy love. Then we got our bichon frise, Spencer. Now Larry and I have our own toy poodle, Charlie Poo, and I wonder how people live without dogs.     10. I have 1 sister from my mom and stepdad and 2 brothers and 1 sister from my dad and stepmom. All half but whole in heart. My baby brother and I are 22 1/2 years apart.  

these are a few of my favorite things

Dress: Old Navy  $15 Christmas money [here] Scarf: ebay $15 Boots: Just Fab $40 Total Outfit Cost: $55
Tell me you sang my title. You did, right?   Some of my favorite things: -stripes, of course =leopard, duh -stripes + leopard together -these boots
So let me tell you a long drawn out story about these boots. I bought a pair of boots from JustFab.com for my mom for Christmas. She loved them and said I picked out the perfect pair. Unfortunately they were a half size too big. So we sent them back. Then after weeks of waiting on the right size to come in, I get an email that they sold out of the right size. Ugh. You could have told me that weeks ago. So then a few more weeks go by of my mom trying to pick out another pair of boots, and she picks out these you see here. She got these in and loved these too, but now this time, these were too small! Wahhh. So yet again I have my mom pick out another pair of boots. This time no luck finding any she liked. 
Then a couple weeks ago I was at Target and picked up these boots and a gray pair (that aren't online any more) for my mom for $12 each. Yes EACH! It turned out to be a win-win situation because my mom ended up with two pair of boots, and I got to keep these!

sweatshirt dress: cold winter vs. warm winter

Merona Dress: Goodwill $4 Necklace: Forever 21 $6 LC Lauren Conrad Booties: gifted from hubby Total Outfit Cost: $10
Merona Dress: Goodwill $4 Scarf: Express (clearance) $7 Boots: Just Fab $40 Coat: Old Navy (black friday sale) $20 Total Outfit Cost: $71

Sorry to be talking about the weather again, but I felt like this post was perfectly appropriate for today. The warm winter outfit is something I could have worn yesterday, and the cold winter outfit is something I could be wearing today. This weather is so dang bipolar. Now that I think of it, no other season here in Louisiana is like that. In the summer, once it's hot, it's HOT. And the spring and fall... they're pretty much just hot too. Ok Danielle, enough about the weather...

Anyways... I've been thinking about doing an "ask me anything" post (like Ginny & Fran did) where y'all ask me questions about anything and I'll answer (pretty self explanatory right? haha). What do y'all think? Would anyone even have any questions for me? 

is it spring yet?

Dress: Forever 21 (sale + bogo) $11 [here] Necklace: Forever 21 $6 Booties: Plato's Closet $12 [here] Total Outfit Cost: $29
Oh hey, haven't posted an outfit in a while... whoops! 

A couple weekends ago we had some beautiful warm weather here. I was able to sport my bare legs for the first time in weeks. I thought maybe just maybe spring would be here soon. Too bad I was wrong! Winter came back again, then left again, then it's supposed to be coming back later on in the week. Grrrrrr. See last year I was ok with the winter hanging around a bit. This year, I just can't wait until spring! I'm ready for open toes, florals, bright colors, and bikinis. For now I guess I'll just be dreaming.

dress last seen [here]