move on... move up...

one great thing about paring down your closet, is that if you shop smart to begin with you can move on and move up at the same time.  what i mean is this... by buying high quality pieces the first time around.  you can use ebay, craigslist or a consignment shop in your community to sell items that are a year or so old and getting a little eh to you and then turn around and use the money to continue to invest in additional quality pieces for your closet.  it's recycling - for money!

i don't know about your community, but mine has GREAT consignment shops.  in fact i've found two new ones in the past couple of months.  i am particularly drawn to the ones that have great window displays.  of course they are putting great stuff out there to draw you in, but then of course you know that they have great stuff!

i like consignment stores over the online stuff for two reasons.  the first is i am a tactile person, i like to see the clothes, touch the shoes, try on the purse, swing the skirts, flaunt the scarves, etc.  and because i usually "run into" things that i would have never thought to search for on ebay.  or maybe that's why i shouldn't shop them. er.

lastly, a good quality consignment shop will offer a donation service as well.  when i drop clothes at my local c.s. - whatever isn't sell-able or is out of season will get donated, in my name, to a local women's shelter or women's clothing mission and i get the tax benefits for it.

life the good life and spread it around.  it'll make you feel good.

closet secrets...

there was a point in my post college days (when i actually had money to fund my closet) that quantity ruled over quality... i'm sure we've all been there before.  a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear.  in fact i was complaining about that recently in front of my toddler son and he literally walked over to my dresser, pulled out a shirt and handed it to me and walked away.  like "yes you do mom, here."  he didn't even look at... to him it was good enough. 

unfortunately for most women, "fashion" isn't as easy as opening a drawer and pulling something out quick.  it has more to do with our mood, our plans for the day, the weather, the trends and more.  with all of those variables, it's no surprise we can never find anything to wear in a sea of clothes.

lately i have been focusing on contentment in all areas of my life, including in my closet.  friends, this is not easy.

there are two things i have found that help me feel content and inspired in my closet.  the first is *paring down* - eliminating those things from the closet that even though you may not "love" them, you still keep them around.

the second is *shopping smarter* - buying things i love even if they are a bit more expensive.  sometimes investing a little more money and a little more time in your wardrobe can pay you back in the future.  

this is by no means a fashion blog - but check back for more closet secrets...

go live it!

one more t on the pile

this is the last installment of my t shirt reviews.  i did save the best "deal" for last... but let's look at this "deal" a little closer.

i'm all for mall fashion - there will be more on that later.  add to that - i am not opposed to shopping old navy at all.  with two kids, i'm shopping there for them anyway, so it's very convenient to pick up a top or jacket or some jeans there quick.  less time spent shopping means more time for everything else - which is an ever growing list.

there are two very strong points of the old navy crew neck t.  the first is the price - one for $14.50 or two or more for $10 each makes this top "easy fashion" - if you dare take it that far.  in addition, old navy is pretty good at staying with the current trends - sometimes to their own demise - but with these t's it translates to a wide selection of colors.  

however, i have to be honest that there are quite a few quality issues that old navy struggles with here.  the first is the fabric's stability.  in general this shirt seems to stretch and get all odd shaped after several washings and wearings (and what t shirt doesn't get several washings and wearings?).  two other experiences i have had with this t (and other's from old navy) is color fading and small holes appearing - sometimes after just a few wearings/washings.

while i will say that the price point is attractive, i must say that this t is not so "good life for less" - saving your money to buy a t at the next price point would be much smarter in my opinion.  but hey, i'm not you.

so, what are your "t" experiences? what did i miss?  what are YOUR opinions?  speak up!

the all american t

it's impossible to start talking about t's without talking about american apparel.

they are t's, only t's, and nothing but t's.  these here are a couple of my faves.  in general, american apparel tends to be a bit edgier and works towards a younger crowd (thus the glowing and youthful models...) but don't be intimidated if you are a thirty-, forty-, or fifty-something.  these t's are ageless and easily layered in case one style is particularly low cut for your taste.  in my opinion either of these t's could be tastefully presented for a beach cover up, a night out with your man, or toting the toddlers around.  

they are all priced between $15 and $32 each and come in a near ridiculous amount of color selections.  i am officially giving you permission... live the good life, what's stopping you.

t anyone?

on to more t's.  today's t is the classic of all classics... the gap essential t for women.

at $19.50 for one or $15.00 for two or more, you can't beat the price.  and in my opinion a gap t is the quintessential t.  if you don't have one of these in your closet, you either should or you don't like t's.  in fact, you should really have more than one.

this t comes in long or short sleeve and usually in a couple of colors. [today gap is only showing grey]  i love this t for a couple reasons... first being of course the price, second is the slim fit and longer torso length.  i love here to how the model has the sleeves pushed up a bit for a casual-let's-get-down-to-work look.  on a saturday i would love this grey t with a brown belt, and oversized funky handbag (i'm thinking red or yellow... one of the "it" colors) and great jeans.  (oh how i can not tell you the satisfaction and perfection of great jeans) for a casual friday i picture this t in black with a cute pencil skirt and dramatic jewelry.  think: an oversized gemstone ring or large hoop earrings.

this t is most definitely the good life for less... check it out.

i (heart) a t.

everyone loves a great t-shirt... something that feels good on, but also that still looks tailored, easy, and effortlessly stylish.

for me there are a couple important aspects of t-shirt wearability.  for me, a t-shirt that feels great on a saturday, but can also play "casual friday with great jeans and heels" or "quick drink with the girls" is the ultimate.  over the coming days i'm going to review some t's that i have had experience with, some that i would like to have an experience with and others that i wish i hadn't.

first up, michael stars.

this oldie but goodie i pulled out of my drawer this morning for a lazy sunday at home.  

let me first off say i love, love, love this top.  (i happen to have a different color... but this color is super cute too).  this top is effortless on the weekends with a cami and your comfy weekend jeans - for me an old pair with holes that i absolutely adore.  but let it be said, this is a casual friday dream!  i have done this to work many a time with a pair of great heels, some fun jewelry and perhaps a multi-wrapped euro style scarf.  in my book, this is exactly what a t should be.

however, let's not get too excited... this t has two major draw backs... the first:  the price.  $51 for a tee is not so "good life for less" - unless that is you get a rockin' deal on it.  which i did happen to do (of course, you know i would).  the other major draw back is one of it's highlights too... i love the "one size fits most" theory of michael stars.  but i am more on the petite side... so by the end of the day there is a chance that the t starts looking more "one size does not fit me".

all that being said.  if you can find a deal on it, snag one of these t's... if you are petite like me, make sure it sees some good dryer time to tighten it up a bit and try to avoid pulling up sleeves or wearing it on a humid day.

signing off folks.  check back for more t's this week and don't forget to live the good life. swack.

stylish stationary

sending anything via post these days is oh so stylish. not only do you look good for spending the extra cents on a stamp, but the recipient is perfectly pleased to open something hand addressed to themself. it just feels good and seems so polite. in many cases it can be a keepsake as well. i personally have a little box at home labled "correspondence" that gets filled up with love notes from my husband and little cards (thank you or otherwise) that i receive from girlfriends and my mom.

there are so many online services these days that offer personalized stationary, special occasion cards, invitations and announcements. but let's separate the "boys" from the "men" if you will here and highlight one particular company that is doing it best.

tiny prints is an innovative online company that has a variety of personalized stationary for every occasion. i just used this company for my own christmas cards. and, well, if i do say so myself, i got plenty o' compliments. this my friends is the good life for less.

let me explain. the site is oh so navigable - seriously easy. the print quality (if you use pictures) can not be matched by most "photo card" sites. and lastly the selection is so hip and fun - you will get cool points without even trying.

i will say this is not the cheapest online service - but that's not what it is about friends. it's about making your money work harder for you and saving you time, which to me has so much more value.

here's some of my favorites...

so go ahead... live the good life for less.

i'm always on the hunt...

as a working mom of two, i'm always looking for ways to look and feel fabulous while being budget friendly as well... don't be shy to save money.  flaunt your style for less and make it our little secret... wink, wink.  check back often for the good life for less. you deserve it.