Saturday, June 30, 2012

June Budget & Budgeting Bloggers

1. Old Navy - $20 @ 20% off
2. Old Navy - $12 @ 20% off
3. Revlon Minted - $5 (seen here)
4. Forever 21 - $7
5. Forever 21 - $10
6. The Limited - $35 @ 25% off (seen here)
7. Loft - $20 on sale (seen here)
8. The Limited - $8 on sale (seen here)
9. Forever 21 -$30 
10. Forever 21 - $13
11. Banana Republic - $35 on sale with giftcard (seen here)
12. Old Navy - $16 @ 20% off
13. Madewell - $35 on sale (seen here)

= $240








Budget: blown. When I think back through the month, I feel I didn't spend that much, but having a spreadsheet and tallying it up makes me realize where the money goes. On one hand, I could not buy 13 different things, and buy one "big ticket" item but at the same time, I do find joy in having a variety of pieces. I've been working on buying clothes and accessories that I will wear for quite some time - pieces that fit, aren't all trendy, and ones that I can wear multiple ways. There are several items I purchased this month that I ended up returning because they didn't fit that criteria.

July starts the {seemingly endless} month of car payments so I will need to re-evaluate the money situation...although I did just get a raise ;)  

How did you do sticking to your budget? I've started a monthly link-up as a form of motivation for us to stick to our {self imposed} budgets.  Please link-up below with Budgeting Bloggers and share with your readers :)


Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Snippity Snip

Off it went! I did the semi spontaneous (okay, with 4 days of back and forth) thing and cut off my hair. If you remember my hair stories, it is not that unusual for me to just "drastically" do something to my hair. I'm excited for all the cute short hair styles to try out! At least it won't be another messy bun like it was with my long hair!






Blouse: Forever 21 (similar in peach at JCP)
Jeans: Urban Outfitters
Belt: The Limited (similar)
Necklace: Tiffany & Co. (similar)
Shoes: Simply Vera Vera Wang (similar)



And  a little bit of office colorblocking....

Sunday, June 24, 2012

To Chop or Not to Chop

I love having long hair...when it looks good. I think I have an idealized idea of what long hair looks like and it looks like every long haired picture on Pinterest - long, full, wavy, beautiful.

Reality: my hair does not look like that. It doesn't hold curl, it gets frizzy and it is spent in a bun 95% of the time. What's the point?

Its time for a chop. Shout out to Sandra for the inspiration.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Thinking Outside of the (Shoe) Box

If you read my answers on Whitney's Women Who Work feature, you will have noticed that I'm pretty limited to what I can wear to work. I have to wear pants and closed toed, flat shoes. Since I can't wear cute sandals/heels/wedges, I've been on the lookout for new styles of flats.

I used to wear Sperrys with just about everything while in school (even in the winter, not on a boat). Once I started working I wore my black ballet flats so much that they have holes in the sole.

Not cute. 

I've been trying to branch out to get out of my shoe rut. These penny loafers were purchased a few months ago - they are so soft! Since then I've also purchased leopard smoking loafers and am hoping to purchase these blue oxfords in the near future.

Are you lucky enough that you can wear any shoe you want every day, or are you limited like I am?

Chambray: Old Navy
Jeans: Gap Outlet (similar)
Belt: Forever 21 (similar)
Shoes: Crown Vintage via DSW (similar)
Bracelet: vacation find (similar)

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Women Who Work: Whitney (and Me!)

When I first started my blog, I knew all the things that were working against me - my job really limits what I can wear, I live in a smaller city, and I have a small budget to work with. I was contacted by Whitney over at Along the Lines of Style to be featured in her weekly Women Who Work column, and I'm so glad she did because I fell in love with her blog. She is in a similar situation I am (job dictates what she wears, smaller budget) but she wears the cutest outfits. I seriously want to steal all of skirts. Since I'm being featured this week (Thanks again Whitney!), I wanted to feature her back! Make sure you visit her blog and follow along!

1.      





      What is your job? 

I teach Middle School Social Studies and coach the Middle School cheer squad. My job requires that I take on all kinds of roles. In my classroom alone, I’m the CEO, mentor, cheerleader, therapist, lecturer, researcher, creative director, head of marketing and finance, party planner, organizer, actress, presenter, scheduler, tech department, supplier, human resources department, communications specialist, and counselor. On occasion, I’m a singer and dancer, but I will spare you those visuals.
 
      Do you have a dress code? How does that define how you dress to work? 

The school where I work has a fairly formal dress code. The men are required to wear ties and shirts with collars. Women have a little less restriction (it’s a little harder to “pin down” an equivalent to ties and dress shirts), but we are required to dress nicely. This means no jeans, sweatshirts, or flip flops.
 
      What challenges do you face (from your job) in terms of style?

Teachers are expected to dress appropriately and professionally, but also have the challenge of dressing comfortably. Also, teachers aren’t making bank, so they have a budget to consider. I think that all of these factors cause many teachers to fall into what has best been described as the teacher frump. You know what I’m talking about—we’ve all had those teachers. When I became a teacher, I made a vow to never fall victim to those awful vests, ill-fitting-high-rise linen pants, and orthotics sandals. I promised myself that I would work hard to reflect my individual style, no matter how tempting the grandma chic trend became.
     What are your closet staples?

  • Skirts! They are so versatile and I wear them year ‘round. A-Line skirts are so comfortable—and I can easily transition from walking around my classroom all day to sitting for hours at a basketball tournament. Pencil skirts are the very definition of classy professional—and they are easy to dress down or dress up.
  • Tank tops/dressy tanks. These are definite musts for any teacher. I wear my tanks in every season—they work well with skirts, dress pants, jeans, and shorts. In cooler weather, all you have to do is throw on
  •  Cardigans. I’m a self-declared cardigan-aholic. For real. Toss one over a dress shirt, tank top, or even a dress and voila outfit!
  •   Bold Jewelry. I am a firm believer that jewelry can completely change the look of an outfit. I have been slightly obsessed with my bubble necklaces I bought on eBay, but my collection of statement jewelry has grown quite a bit since I became a teacher.

There you have it! Thank you, Franziska, for having me on your blog!

Monday, June 18, 2012

To Kate Spade, With Love.

This past weekend I visited my friend in Chicago. Although its just a quick trip down the interstate from Madison, its a completely different world down there. There's so much to see, eat, drink, do and shop - I was about ready to pack my bags and move down there...when the hard cold reality reminded me that I have to be at work on Monday. Boo!

I'll be back for you, Chicago.

We spent part of Saturday shopping on Michigan Avenue, and spent quite a bit of time in Nordstrom Rack. Just like with Outlet Mall shopping, it is important to ask yourself if you are buying something because you truly love it, or because "Its such a great deal!". I had spent 45 minutes shopping around without much luck when I found this Kate Spade purse. I had been looking for one just like it, especially after see Rachael's super cute teal one. I resisted buying at first, because although a $300+ purse for under $150 is an amazing deal, I wanted to make sure I loved it because of what it is, not because of what it costs. I put it back on the hook (read: hide it in a pile of socks)...went out to lunch...and then came back for it. I know I bought it because I loved it, not because I couldn't pass up such a great deal.
Cardigan: Banana Republic Outlet (similar)
Tank: Banana Republic Outlet
Jeans: Urban Outfitters
Shoes: Rocket Dog via DSW
Purse: Kate Spade via Nordstrom Rack (similar)
Watch: Fossil (similar)
Ring: Gift from my mom
Bracelets: Forever 21
Nails: Revlon Minted

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Dotty in AC

I wore this for my half day at work on Friday and then for my drive down to Chicago...where I immediately changed into a sundress since it was 90 degrees outside of my air conditioned car. If you follow along on instagram (@FHasselhof) you saw all the fun things we drank, ate...and bought.

Blouse: Francesca's (similar)
Necklace: Ann Taylor Outlet (similar)
Watch: Fossil (similar)
Bracelets: Forever 21

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Minty Fresh

Let this be a lesson: if you use cuticle cream before painting your nails, the polish won't adhere and all your polish will come off within 48 hours.

Outcome: An excuse to try out a new color!

Color: Revlon Minted

Nail Striping tape (on eBay for cheap!)

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Plaid to Meet You

I love this blazer but I feel it never photographs the way it looks in real life. Plus posing in a blazer is not really that flattering, am I right? #bloggerproblems #whocares


Blazer: H&M
Shirt: Banana Republic
Belt: Madewell
Ring: Forever 21


Monday, June 11, 2012

~Neon


This month's EBEW theme is neon and as soon as I read that, my heart sank a little. I love a fun trend, but the neon fad just hasn't really spoken to me.  Last month's Nautical theme? Yes, Yes,  and Yes.

Neon? I'm just unsure about.

So instead of buying some neon top and feeling immediate guilt over something I know is not something I really love, and will wear years from now, I did the less permanent version - a manicure!

Pink: Essie Peach Daiquiri
Nude: Revlon Gray Suede



I would also like to thank Heather at Glitter and Gloss for featuring me this week on Mani Monday. Go see what the rest of the ladies did to their nails this week!








Image 4970



Sunday, June 10, 2012

Organized.


Having a slight case of undiagnosed OCD, I like everything to be in order. I've been playing around with how I like my make-up, nails, closet and jewelry organized, so I thought I would share!

First off is my make-up. My friend told me I have the most make-up she has ever seen, and while that may be true, I can't help it! I just love make-up. This organizer is from Target (similiar here) and I found it so helpful being able to see everything organized by function. Knowing where everything is makes getting ready in the morning that much easier.




 My nail polish collection has been growing steadily, and keeping them stuffed in a bag didn't allow me to really know what colors I already owned. This rack was a spice rack I bought for $2 at Savers, and then spray painted white. 


My closet has been organized by color for as long as I can remember. I know many people organize theirs by function, but that never worked out for me. The unmentionables are kept in a drawer set from Target, as well as the shoes and work out clothes located at the bottom. I'm still looking for a better way to organize my scarves (currently stuffed into a bin) but the current summer weather means I'm not exactly looking for scarves to wear.



My mom made me this jewelry frame as a Christmas present - the window pane is originally from our barn which is attached to a burlap wrapped wood panel. This picture doesn't do it justice - it is really beautiful. Having everything hanging in order really allows me to experiment with my jewelry, more than I ever did when it was sitting in a balled up mess on my dresser.



So that's a little look into the pieces that help me make myself presentable - how are you keeping everything organized? Does the ball mess work for you, or are you slightly OCD about how your clothes are arranged in your closet?

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Sail Away

There are very few times where I see something on another person and go, "That must belong to me...immediately"

....except when I saw this Madewell belt on Skylette over at Sequins & Stilettos.

I had to make it mine.



Shirt: Forever 21
Jeans: Joe's Jeans
Belt: Madewell   (on sale)
Bracelets: Forever 21
Nails: OPI My Throne for a Cranberry Scone


I also recently found this necklace on the Poshlocket website and might just have to buy it once it comes into stock. Its so cute and perfect for summer.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

How Much Does a Blogger Weigh?



 An Instagram. Follow along at FHasselhof.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Graduation, Part 2

Today's the day Max finally graduated from high school. I still think of him as my little 6 year old brother - the one we dressed up as our third sister, the one we called when there was a bug that needed killing, the one I had to sleep next to for a year so he wouldn't sleep walk. I can't believe we're at the point where he'll be going off to college in 3 months. Here are a couple of pictures celebrating the day:
School colors of black and orange.
Our "Uncle" Will. He lived in the duplex above us during my dad's residency and has been a part of our lives ever since.
 My proud parents.
The family - my dad, mom, grandma, brother, sister and uncle.
My cute 81 year old grandma - doesn't she look great?
We miss you Viktoria!
 Siblings - can you tell?


Mom's outfit:

Heels: Guess via DSW
Dress: Vince Camuto via Marshalls
Necklace: H&M Germany
Bracelet: Forever 21
Purse: Louis Vuitton


Remember when I said my mom is one of the most stylish people I know, and her greatest advice is to mix high end up more inexpensive pieces? Case in point.



Dress: Old Navy
Cardigan: Target
Necklace and Ring: borrowed from Mom
Wedges: BCBGeneration via Boston Store

As We Go On, We Remember...


My little brother is graduating from high school this weekend - we're so proud and excited for him! My aunt and uncle bought him an authentic pair of Lederhosen as a graduation present - look how handsome he looks! We spent Saturday with close friends and family eating, joking and celebrating...








Tobi, our one eyed retriever, spent the day trying to sneak bites from everyone's plates.
While photographing Max, he grabbed the camera and snapped a couple pictures of me.









We can tell that Viktoria got the modeling gene since after about 3 shots I felt so awkward I resorted to this face: 

No celebrations are complete without Jaeger shots, at least not in this family!

My Oma {that's Grandma for all you English speakers} came over for the celebration. Inspiration that you can by stylish at any age. 













My pretty sister Karoline.














Chris has been working really hard studying for his boards coming up in 3 weeks, so I was really excited that he could come join us for the day. My grandma just loves him....




 Pops.















My mother's famous tiramisu. If I had to choose 1 food to eat the rest of my life, then this is it. Recipe coming soon!

Since I have to wear pants and flats at work every day, I get really excited when I have the opportunity to wear dresses and skirts but since I don't get a chance to wear them often, I don't really own a lot. Since reading Whitney's blog {Between the Lines} I've been day dreaming about all the cute ways to find and wear skirts - she always looks so great!

I just discovered that we have a Loft in Madison, so I stopped by on my out of town on Friday. I found this great skirt {on sale for $20} but unfortunately it was at least a size too big. I bought it anyway and am going to try to alter it myself...we'll see how that goes. Anyone have any tips? Or should I save myself the hassle and just take it to a tailor?


Top: Target {borrowed from Mom}
Skirt: Loft
Shoes: Target {recent!}
Bracelet: borrow from Mom