OOTD - Spiffy

About a month ago, I had the privilege of attending my niece's junior flute recital up at the university.  She got to stand on a stage in a fancy dress, and literally blow us all away at how incredibly talented she is with her chosen instrument.  I figured an event like this called for the little black dress I had recently picked up, so I went ahead and got all dressed up.  Turns out, I could have worn just about anything, considering a lot of the attendees were students, there to get a grade.  There were a lot of men wearing tank tops (Ugh, don't get me started on this trend!  If you're not swimming, I don't want to see your armpit hair!), but I didn't mind.  I always love an excuse to wear a dress!

Outfit Details: 

Dress: MNG for JC Penney, $8 (clearance)

Tights: Sears, $5

Necklace: Body Central, $4

Shoes: Sears, $4 (clearance)

Grand Total: $21

Fair Trade Friday - A Collaboration

I've talked about One Mango Tree in the past.  They're a great company, based out of Uganda, that offers great products such as handbags, clothing, and other accessories.  Well, they've teamed up with another company, 4 All Humanity, to bring us a great mini-collection of clothes that I just had to share!

Chevron Flare Dress

How cute is this dress?  I love the detailing at the neckline, and the color is amazing!

Trifecta Top

Speaking of great colors, I love this shade of yellow.  It screams summer, right along with the adorable back cutouts on this top.

Drape & Flare Racerback

Another great top is this racerback tank.  It has a great high-low hemline, and my favorite part is the gathered detailing along the back.

Mid Summer's Night Dress

My favorite dress from the collection is this one.  I just love the simplicity of the black with the great pop of color and print along the spine as she turns around.  Of course, maxi dresses are great anyways... case in point:

http://pinterest.com/pin/258394097343274135/

Have a great rest of your Friday, I'll see you guys on the flip side!

Thrifted Pinterest - Pretty Peplum

Holy crapola, has another week gone by already?  I swear, the past few months have just been a blur!  I guess that means it's another Thursday, which means you guys get another installment of Thrifted Pinterest!  Here's the inspiration photo for today:

http://pinterest.com/pin/216806169534062102/

First off, can we just talk about those shoes!?!  I'm having just a little bit of shoe envy right now.  But, I am pretty easily consoled, since I just got a pair of cobalt blue flats that were perfect for my version of the outfit.   Plus, they were only $2!  Flats are better for chasing my kiddos around anyways.  Here's my version (along with my attempt to mirror the original photo!):

Outfit Details:
Top: thrifted, DIY'ed from dress, $5
Jeans: Wal-Mart, $20
Shoes: thrifted, $2
Earrings: Premier Designs, free for hosting a party
Necklace (not pictured): gift from China

Grand Total: $27

Kidlet Style - Brrrr!

I swear, I know the weather in Arkansas is unpredictable, but I just wish it would make up its mind!  Is it spring?  Is it summer?  Geez!  On the plus side, this somewhat cold rainy day is the perfect time for me to post some old pictures of the girls from a couple months ago.  It was the last really cold day of the year, and I got to bundle them up one last time!

...I think she said it's a monkey...?

Daddy A's little bro wanted a picture of his shirt too!

Superhero Dance Party!!!

"What was that...?"

"OMG, seriously, what is that???"

Outfit Details for Big A:
Vest: Kids 'R' Us, $5.50
Shirt: Gap, $4.50
Jeans: Genuine Kids, $4.50
Boots: Circo, $4.50

Outfit Details for Little A:
Jacket/Pants: Child of Mine, $4.50 for both
Shirt: Old Navy, $3.50

Grand Total: $27

All brands and prices are from our local Once Upon A Child.  The big 50% sale is coming up on June 21st!  You can show up early for first picks on the clearance merchandise, or come in after 5pm to get 70% off clearance!

OOTD - Simple

My 'audience' was watching from the window again....

Just a quick post today, I've got dinner cooking on the stove... Hamburger Helper and sweet corn, to be exact!  It's one of those simple meals that doesn't have a lot to it, but it fills you up!  Kinda like this outfit, nothing too special here, but a classic striped tee and high-water jeans is just chic.  Add in a great necklace and some patterned flats, and I'm ready!

Outfit Details:
Top: Old Navy, thrifted, $3.50
Jeans: Wal-Mart, $14
Shoes: Target, $7
Necklace: Kanzi Craft, gifted
Bracelet: $1 Jewelry Galore

Grand Total: $25.50

Fair Trade Friday - Rest and Relaxation

I was up pretty late last night.  With tornado warnings hovering over our area, and tons of lightning and thunder to go along with them, I didn't get to bed until about midnight.  It was pointless to go to bed anyways, since I was too worried about what I would do with the girls if there was a crazy tornado... our house doesn't exactly have a basement, and our bathroom has a giant window in it!  Anyways, all that being said, I'm a little tired today.  On days like today, all I want to do is stay in my jammies and watch back to back episodes of my shows on Netflix.  So, in the spirit of a day of doing almost nothing, here's some Fair Trade products I'm wishing I had.

Punjammies Havila Jammie Pants

These are the prettiest jammie pants I've seen!  I also love the company, Punjammies.  All their products are made by women that were rescued from a life of forced prostitution in India.  Instead of these women being treated as nothing more than a commodity, they are taught a skill and treated with respect in an after-care facility that offers medical care, emotional safety, education, and community.  And the pants are so pretty too!  They also offer shirts and capri length pants especially for spring and summer.

Stop Traffick Fashion 'I am Free' Tee

In the same vein, this Tee Shirt would be great for a laid back day at home, plus the navy color would match the teal pants perfectly (see this post for why...).  The story behind the company would match up pretty well too!  Stop Traffick Fashion employs women in India that either have been rescued or are at risk of being involved in the sex trade, while paying them a fair wage from the income of their products' sales.  In addition, a portion of the company's sales revenue is donated to partner organizations that rescue victims and provide rehabilitation and training.  Plus, as an added bonus to you, all their tees are currently on sale for $18.99!

Indego Africa Nicole Headwrap Turban

Along with the nice comfy clothes, I'd definitely use one of these headwraps to keep my hair back on a lazy day!  This particular wrap was co-designed with Nicole Miller, and hand woven by the Rwandan artisans that make the products available on the Indego Africa website.  There are tons of great products on the site, I'm also drooling over these shoelaces, and this shirt.

Lake Champlain Hot Chocolate

Okay, so I'm one of those weird people that will drink hot chocolate at almost any time of day, no matter the season.  It could be 80 degrees outside, but as long as I'm in air conditioning, you better believe I'll be enjoying a cup of cocoa!  Add in bonus points for this blend being organic and fair trade certified, and it's definitely at the top of my wishlist. (Plus it's currently on sale.... it just keeps getting better!)

What items must you have for a day of relaxation?

Thrifted Pinterest - DIY Skirt

No thrifted items in today's post, but there is a skirt that I made, using two tutorials that I found on Pinterest. I also had to turn to the site for a little color inspiration, so here's the pins that inspired the outfit:

http://pinterest.com/pin/216806169533952570/

http://pinterest.com/pin/216806169534164316/

Okay, small confession time: once, I was shopping with my then roommate at Wal-Mart, and she was looking for storage bins.  She couldn't decide if she wanted to match the lids to the bins, or pick coordinating colors in teal and navy.  I was ready to leave, and not in the best mood so, I blatantly told her that teal and navy don't go together so we could hurry up and get out of there.  Now I'm having to eat my words, so, sorry roomie!  The colors actually go together nicely, so I put them together in this outfit.

Outfit Details:
Shirt: Gap, $5 (clearance)
Skirt: DIY, tutorials (here) and (here)
Shoes: Payless, $10 (old)
Blue Necklace: Icing by Claire's, $3 (old)
Cross Necklace: gifted
Whistle: Falling Whistles, $34
Dragon Ring: Icing by Claire's, $4 (old)
Heart Ring: gifted

Grand Total: $56

What unexpected color combinations are you guys loving right now?  Leave a comment and let me know!