Fashion Friday: Why Loft is one of my new favorite stores.

Over the next few Fridays I'm going to share with you a few of my favorite stores and why I like to shop there.  I love discovering new places and sometimes overlook stores that are really great.  In working at the mall, I've learned that sometimes people miss out on  shopping at great places because they're not in their normal shopping center or they think that a store doesn't fit their image or target demographic.

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I first noticed Loft about 5 years ago from a magazine ad...  I remember it featured a soft pink tank, a cream cardigan with a tan floral print, jeans, and an army green jacket.  I'm guessing that I'd never paid attention to that store before because we didn't have one nearby, but that ad haunted me with that beautiful outfit.  Right around that time I went on a road trip to Colorado and found a Loft store.  I bought about 1/2 of the outfit right off of that ad and after that I was hooked on that store.  Unfortunately, the nearest stores were about 2 1/2 hours away from home and they haven't hopped on the bandwagon of reasonable shipping costs, so my purchases from there were few and far between.  I did some pretty serious damage at their Times Square store a few years ago, but other than that it was just a couple items here or there.

And then it happened last fall...

We finally got a Loft store in town AND it's only about 5 minutes from where I live!

I'm pretty sure I was in there opening day.

Ever since then, Loft has become a favorite for work clothes and the part of my wardrobe that I call "dressy casual"...  You know, the stuff that you can dress up or down and that can easily transition from work to weekend.  

Those skirts!  Both scored on super clearance, of course!

My wild new floral print cropped jeans!

1. There's always a sale.  There is never a reason to pay full price there.  They always have some sort of deal going on and a lot of times you can score stuff at pretty significant discounts.  I've managed some really great deals on new arrivals and of course have scored some amazing clearance finds.
2. They have really good "dressy casual" clothes.  I know I already said this, but this store is perfect for the whole work-to-weekend thing.  A lot of what I own from there can be dressed up or I can rock my distressed jeggings and it works either way.  It's obviously a lot more cost effective if the items are more versatile like that.
3. They carry petites!  I teeter right on the edge of petite and regular in dresses and pants, so I love having the option of choosing between one or the other.  
4. Everything is so pretty!  If you've read my blog for a while, you know I love my neons, but sometimes there's just something to be said for pretty neutrals and prints.  Speaking of prints, I'm not a huge print person, but they always seem to have ones that appeal to me and get me to branch out of my comfort zone a bit.
5. The fit!  I feel like I'm at that age where it's not really that appropriate for me to buy juniors clothes anymore (although let's face it, I do occasionally), but I'm not quite ready for "mom clothes."  (Moms please don't take offence to that, but I think you know what I mean.)  I really like to fit of a lot of their clothes and really haven't tried on much that made me totally cringe.  I find a lot of it to be really flattering to the curves, but it doesn't feel too old and frumpy.  Aside from American Eagle jeans, Loft jeans are my next favorite for fit.  Their dresses are also very flattering and they typically have a good variety of styles to fit different tastes and needs.

Do you shop at Loft?

What are your favorite things to get there?!?

TpT Tuesday

I hope you're having a terrific Tuesday!  

It's amazing how for it being summer I have been super busy over the past few days...  My weekends have been packed with weddings, showers, and birthday parties, so it's been a fun start to the summer.

I had a lot of extra time during my weekdays last week since my brother was away at camp, so I put in a lot of time on some new Teacher Pay Teachers products.  I don't know about any of you who are also on there, but it's sometimes a little overwhelming to see all of the amazing people on there and their fabulous and creative products.  I'm starting off slow and with some basics for the classroom and we'll just see how it goes from there!  

I have been making some classroom items in a cute bright pink, green, and blue polka dot design.  I'm still working on making more to go with this theme, but here's what I've got so far...

PS ~ I was having some issues with linking when I wrote this post (and was too lazy to try to change everything again), so if the image links aren't working here's the link to my store!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Third-Grade-Rock-Star

Makeup Monday: Favorite Lip Products

Happy Monday!  

 I thought I'd kick off the summer by doing a Makeup Monday post about something that we all love...

LIP PRODUCTS!

I wanted to share a few of my current favorites as we move into summer!  I usually go a little lighter on the rest of my makeup this time of year, so it's a fun time to let my lips stand out a bit more.

The majority of my lip products are drugstore brands, but I do have a few high-end items (most of which were freebies or in sampler sets).  My one high-end lip gloss that I have purchased is the Nars Orgasm lip gloss, which is a new one for me.  I love it!  The color is a gorgeous pinky golden nude that is glamorous, but not over the top.  If you're going to drop the big bucks on a lip gloss, this is definitely one to consider.

The other two are samples from Sephora, but ones that I find myself reaching for fairly often.  Benefit's Coralista is such a pretty coral that is bright, but still one that you can rock everyday.  Buxom's glosses have great staying power and from what I recall they have a nice color selection.

I still love my Revlon Lip Butters, but I must admit that I like Maybelline's Color Whispers a bit better.  They're very comparable, but I like the Maybelline formula better for its smoothness and texture.  

I've not tried any other ELF lip products, but I really like this jumbo lip crayon.  For the $2 or $3 it costs, it's a total steal! 

These lip glosses were my first NYX purchases last year.  They have a HUGE color selection in these!  These are probably my most used glosses these days.  The staying power is okay...  Not amazing like the Nars gloss, but still good.  These are really great for layering over other lip colors (like the ELF crayon) when you want that extra shine.

This NYX Butter Gloss is my most recent Target find.  It was a total impulse buy, but I seriously love these.  I'm definitely tempted to snag more colors.  These are so incredibly smooth and add the perfect amount of color.  I think I prefer this formula over the NYX Mega Shine Gloss (above) and would probably choose to purchase more of these over those at this point.

What are your favorite lip products for summer?

Do you have a brand you love?

Classroom Wish List

Every summer I'm faced with the decision / dilemma of how much money I want to spend on materials for the upcoming school year.  Yes, school has only been out for about 2 weeks, but I'm that person who's already planning and plotting out what items I want and what sales to hit.

I try to keep my out of pocket spending to around $100 or less if I can help it.  Our school's PTA graciously reimburses us for supplies up to $100, so I usually not to spend a whole lot more on top of that.  For the most part, after completing 7 years of teaching I have accumulated a pretty good collection of supplies.  BUT, as with anything, after 7 years some of that needs to get upgraded and replaced.  

Right now, I think my big splurge might be one of Erin Condren's Teacher's Lesson Planners.  It's a bit of a splurge considering they start at $59 and I've made my own plan books and grade books for the past couple years.  It's sooooo tempting to have EVERYTHING all in one nice neat organized place and on top it that something that is sooooo cute as well!  One of my friends bought one last year and LOVED hers and said that she's planning on getting another one for next year.  It appears that everyone online that has one thinks they're pretty awesome as well!

Another item I am considering is some new supply / book bins for my classroom.  I have a set from Target that have lasted 5 or 6 years, but are starting to show some wear and tear.  I managed to snag mine the first year Target carried them and only paid $1 each.  Target realized what a gem they had, though, and now I believe they run $2.50 or $3 each.  We'll see...  I may just replace the broken ones or possibly splurge on these pretty ones from Really Good Stuff.

Another temptation I've recently had is to change up my classroom theme.  I've been using Creative Teaching Press's Poppin' Patterns collection pretty much since the beginning of time.  I still love that collection, but with my vast collection of K-State decor I am really tempted to go with a cute purple, black, and white theme.  Much of what I have already goes with that color scheme, so it would mostly involve investing in some new borders and a few other things.  I know how OCD I can get, though, which is why I have previously selected such a bright and colorful theme.  Once again, we'll see.  

Other than that, there really aren't that many special items I'm looking to get for my classroom.  As I get more into this Teachers Pay Teachers thing I'm realizing how much I can make on my own!  My district has a copy center that I can submit jobs to online and get many of my goodies printed.  If I go with a new color scheme I will be sure to create most of my own decorations to go with that theme!

What's on your classroom wish list for next school year?

What do you think is worth a splurge?

Anyone out there have an Erin Condren Teacher Planner?  Do you love it?  I'd love your feedback and input!  

TpT Tuesday

One of my goals for the summer is to really get my Teachers Pay Teachers store rolling with new products.  This totally took a backseat to the absolute craziness that was the second semester of the school year, but now that summer is here I'm motivated again to get things up and going.  

I don't want to blast you all with products all the time since I know there are quite a few of you out there that aren't teachers and could care less about products for the classroom.  So, I'm going to try to do a TpT Tuesday post each week to feature new things I've posted in my store.  We'll see how this goes, but for right now that's my plan!

Click here to download your signs for FREE!

If you like FREE stuff, check out these cute photo signs for the first, 100th, and last day of school!  Even if you're not a teacher, these are cute for you photo crazy parents out there.  Click the picture above to download it!

I've also created signs in other color schemes that also include grade level specific signs that you can find 

here and here.  

I had some similar signs for my students this year and I took their pictures on the first day of school and then sent the photos home with their final report cards.  It was fun to see how much they'd changed and grown since the beginning of the year!

I'm trying to create some items theme items as well, so here's one that will (hopefully) be the first of many in this color scheme and theme...

Click here for the binder covers pack!

I'm all about starting off the year organized, so I'm trying to make things that are not only cute, but will keep things in order!

Have a great Tuesday!

April Budget

Loft Stripe Textured Cotton Sweater - $39

Image via Loft

I really debated on whether or not to get this during the Loft Friends & Family sale...  I loved it, but wasn't sure how much use I would get out of a sweater at this point in the spring.  Then, I was reminded that I live in Kansas where it can literally go from blizzard to shorts weather in the same week.  (Seriously, we had one day this month where part of the state was under a tornado watch and the other was having blizzards.)  Anyway, I've already gotten some good wear out of it and I think the navy and white stripes are classy for any season.

Loft Curvy Cropped Jeans - $39

Image via Loft

I wasn't really looking for jeans when I hit the Loft sale, but I decided to give these a try as I've really come to like the fit of many of their pants.  The super dark wash makes them feel more like dress pants than jeans and therefore they've been added to my work wardrobe rotation for the remainder of the school year.

J.Crew Factory Airspun Baseball Sweater - $27 (purchased with gift card)

Image via J.Crew Factory

I've been really liking baseball tees lately and have found some cute styling ideas on Pinterest.  I love the tomboyish look paired with girly details.  I felt a little guilty getting this right after buying the other striped sweater from Loft, but I liked the stripes a bit better than the solid versions and this one was cheaper.

J.Crew Factory Bar Stripe Tee - $24 (purchased with gift card)

Image via J.Crew Factory

I've had my eye on this tee since the retail version came out last year, but kept missing out on it.  I was happy to finally get it.  I love that it's casual, but a little bit more than just a basic tee.

Old Navy Eyelet Shift Dress - $0.32

Image via Old Navy

This is what happens when you stack a sale, plus Stuff & Save, plus a reward coupon on top of one another...  You get a super cute dress for $0.32!  This one is very flattering and was one of my Easter dresses!

Charlotte Russe Necklace - $5
CR has had some really nice necklaces recently and ran a $5 statement necklace sale right before Easter.  I may not have necessarily needed this one, but I had a hard time passing up a great necklace at a great price.

Merona Wedge Sandals - $18

Image via Target

Target has been running some great sales with coupons and Cartwheel and the best part is that they all stack on top of one another.  I bought these to go with my Easter dress (that I bought at Loft last month) and some of my other summer dresses.

Target Earrings - $0 (after coupon)

When I bought the sandals I was a couple dollars short of being able to use a $5 off apparel and accessory coupon.  Combined with Cartwheel, I got these for free and still saved a few extra bucks off of the sandals.

Sam & Libby Chelsea Bow Flats - $30

How cute are these?!?  I love flats and even more loved the idea of adding navy bow flats to my shoe collection.  I love that they're comfy and good quality at a decent price!  I may be buying more colors!

Mossimo Lakitia Sandals - $10

Target was running a BOGO 50% sale on all shoes, so when I bought the flats I knew it was a good time to snatch up some new sandals.  I love that these are black AND brown!  They're probably going to be in heavy rotation this summer!

Total = $141.32

This doesn't include my Sephora makeup purchases after my 100 day makeup and nail polish shopping ban, but that is coming in another post.  (I also spent a gift card on some of those purchases.)  I did fairly well staying on budget with clothes and accessories this month.  I don't feel like I buy shoes very often, so to get 3 pairs is kind of crazy for me!  I threw out and Goodwill'ed a lot of shoes last month, so I didn't feel too guilty about upgrading my collection.

May Budget Plan:
May brings the end of the school year, so I don't really have much need to think about work clothes for a couple months.  I'm hoping to find some cute warm weather items, but really don't have any specific items on my "must have" list right now.  I have a few weddings coming up, so I may treat myself to some new shoes or accessories for those events.

How did you do with your budget this month?

Don't forget to link up at Franish to check out the other Budgeting Bloggers!

Makeup Monday: Makeup Faves

Current Everyday Makeup Faves

I'm a huge makeup fan and I'm always looking for great products and good bargains.  I haven't done a post about makeup in months and some of my favorite and most used products have changed.  I had someone suggest that I do more posts about makeup, so here you go!

1. Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream for Eyes - This is a new favorite that I was introduced to at Spehora a couple months ago.  The coverage is great without being too thick or thin and I love that it has some skincare benefits in it as well.  
2. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder - This has become one of my favorite powders ever.  It does a really nice job of setting my makeup and also has pretty good lasting power throughout the day.  
3. NYC "Sunny" Bronzer - I'd seen a lot of great reviews of this inexpensive gem and decided to drop the $3 on it when my other bronzer ran out.  I love that it's a matte bronzer and it's great for adding a little color and blending out my makeup for a more natural sun-kissed look.
4. NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss - I'd neglected my NYX lip glosses for a while and recently went back to them.  I've been into neutral makeup looks lately and these have been just perfect!
5. Smashbox Photo Finish Light Primer - I've sampled this one a few times, but always went back to my Benefite POREfessional.  I gave this one another try recently and came to really like it so I used some Birchbox points to purchase a full size.  The "light" version is prefect if you're worried about your skin being sensitive or breaking out.
6. NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray - If you're a fan of the Urban Decay setting sprays, you definitely need to give this one a try.  It works just as well, but is a fraction of the cost.  The only complaint I have is that the bottles are smaller, so I have to repurchase more often.  Despite that, though, it is much better deal for an almost identical product.
7. Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation - I recently picked this up during a 50% off sale at Walgreens after hearing a few reviews.  I figured for $2.50 it was worth a try, so I grabbed it instead of my Revlon Colorstay.  I really like it!  The coverage is a perfect not-too-thick but not-too-thin and I haven't even been using concealer expect for under my eyes!
8. Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette - I snatched this one up as soon as it hit Sephora's website.  I love having the rosy and pinky color options.  I wear this palette or my Naked 2 pretty much everyday!  
9. Smashbox 24 Hour Limitless Cream Shadow (in Topaz) - I've been using this as a base for my powder shadows and it works really well.  It gives a little color, but does the same job as a primer.  On days when I'm running behind, I can get away with wearing only this and I don't have to rock the completely naked lid look.
10. ELF Blush - If you haven't tried ELF blushes, you need to!  For $3 each, they're a steal and although they do have some fall out, they last a long time!  

I get asked a lot about the brands that I use and if I go for high-end or drugstore products.  I honestly use a good mix of both.  My Naked palettes are my most expensive purchases, but I bought both of those when I had coupons to Ulta or Sephora.  For me, some items are worth the extra cost, but there are also so many great drugstore products out there!

What are your makeup must haves?  
I'd love to hear your faves and get suggestions for new items to try!