April 2018

So yeah, still a slacker of a blogger here. I've spent the last hour trying to figure out how to get my free audiobooks off of the Overdrive app on my phone and onto my desktop. After a bunch of random clicking and mostly fruitless Google searches I think that I've managed to get those books onto my desktop iTunes. If the word free caught your eye and you are interested in YA audiobooks, just google Audiobook Sync. Every week they offer two free audiobooks that you can keep. In an effort to make the most of the free things offered by my library I also downloaded my five free songs of the week from Freegal using my library card. So all in all it has been a productive, and slightly frustrating morning. And I have waited too long to run my usual Monday errands without melting into a puddle since it is currently 98 degrees outside at 11:54 am. Add to that the fact that I own a black car and have no covered parking and it's probably 130 degrees in my car right now. Oh well, I guess I'll wait for the sun to set before going anywhere today. In the meantime here are the outfits that I wore in April and a couple of things that I bought. Yes, I did a tiny bit of thrifting a couple of weeks ago and I enjoyed it immensely.

April 3

Dress: Max Studio - Last seen here (2nd outfit)

The Stuff

Earrings: Mom  Bracelet: Rosetta

April 4

Top: Ann Taylor - Last seen here (9th outfit)  Skirt: The Limited - Last seen here (6th outfit)

The Stuff

Earrings: Penny Necklace: Gift  Bracelet: Chicos

April 6

Dress: Jonathan Martin Studio - Last seen here (9th outfit) Hat: World Market - Bought in March

The Stuff

Earrings: Online  Necklace: CFB (community food bank) silent auction  Bracelet: Mom

April 7

Dress: Merona - Last seen here (7th outfit) This is the last wear of this dress, it has stretched into mostly shapelessness. I thrifted it in 2015 so a three year lifespan in my closet isn't too bad.

The Stuff

Earrings: Chicos

April 10

Dress: I Love H81 - Last seen here (4th outfit)  Cardigan: J Crew - Last seen here (4th outfit)

The Stuff

Earrings: Mom  Necklace: Gift from N in high school! Bracelet: Chicos

April 11

Dress: Jones New York - Last seen here (6th outfit) Cardigan: French Connection - Last seen here (11th outfit)

The Stuff

Earrings: Mom  Necklace: CFB silent auction  Bracelet: Mom

April 12

Dress: I <3 Ronson - Last seen here (9th outfit) Cardigan: August Silk - Last seen here (6th outfit)

The Stuff

Earrings: Mom  Bracelet: Gift from R

April 13

Cardigan: Talbots - Last seen here (2nd outfit)    Jeans: Levis - Last seen here (3rd outfit)

The Stuff

Earrings: Mom  Necklace: Gift

April 14

Top: Chicos - Retail 2014 (?) Looks like I haven't worn this top to work in the last two years  Jeans: Levis - Last seen here (8th outfit)

The Stuff

Earrings: Gift from BB  Bracelet: Mom

April 17

Top: Banana Republic - Last seen here (5th outfit)  Pants: Banana Republic - Last seen here (7th outfit)

The Stuff

Earrings: Penny  Necklace: Chicos  Bracelet: Mom

April 18

Top: Gap - Last seen here (2nd outfit)   Skirt: Hillard & Hanson - Last seen here (1st outfit)

The Stuff

Earrings and Necklace: Mom  Bracelet: Penny

April 19

Top: Jones New York - Last seen here (1st outfit)  Skirt: Jones New York - Last seen here (13th outfit)  Cardigan: Dana Buchman - Last seen here (13th outfit)

The Stuff

Earrings and Bracelet: Chicos  Necklace: Online

April 20
    

Top: INC - Last seen here (4th outfit)   Jeans: Levis - Last seen above Hat: World Market - Last seen above

The Stuff

Earrings and Bracelet: Mom  Necklace: Etsy

April 21

Cardigan: Ann Taylor - Last seen here (3rd outfit)  Jeans: Levis - Last seen above

The Stuff

Earrings: Retail - Old  Necklace: Etsy

April 24 - Full outfit repeat from last November
    

Top: Chicos - Last seen here (7th outfit)   Skirt: Chicos - Last seen here (7th outfit)  Cardigan: Saks 5th Ave - Last seen here (7th outfit)  Alas, this is the last wearing of this skirt. It has stretched out at the top and the fabric is almost twice as thin as on the bottom. It will get a second chance at life in a crafting program at my library over the summer. I will miss this super swirly skirt.

The Stuff

Earrings and Bracelet: Mom  Necklace: Online

April 25

Dress: Per Una - Last seen here (13th outfit) Cardigan: Jeanne Pierre - Last seen here (3rd outfit)

The Stuff

Earrings: Penny  Necklace: Gift from C  Bracelet: Gift from Janet

April 27

Top: Saks 5th Ave - Last seen here (1st outfit)  Skirt: Banana Republic - Last seen here (1st outfit)  Hat: Etmar - Last seen here in NOLA

The Stuff

Earrings and Necklace: Vintage, bought in 199?  Bracelet: Mom

April 28

Top: Sonoma - Last seen here (4th outfit)  Jeans: Levis - Last seen above

The Stuff

Earrings: Retail

Things I bought:

  
Cardigan: Thrifted for $1.98                        Skirt: Thrifted for $4.98


Lounge Pants: Target Clearance for $7.98


And that was April. Maybe I can get more than one post up in May. We shall see.

As always thank you to blog photographers BB, Mr DC and the GH.

See you soon!

Early Morning

Hi there. I have been spoiled by working five minutes away from my house.  I thought about that this morning as I got up close to an hour early in order to make it to my dentist appointment on time.  My dentist's office recently moved and they are now half an hour away from my house in good traffic. It's not the logically frugal thing to do, to drive 30 minutes in city traffic, when there are plenty of dental offices within a mile or so of my house. Why do I travel this far just for a routine cleaning? It's all about relationships and loyalty. When I first got dental insurance I chose a dentist that was only 10 minutes or so away from where I was working at the time. That was around 15 years ago. For the entire time I have been going to this dentist, shout out to Dr. David Rosenthal, DDS, I have had the same dental hygienist. She knows where my sensitive spots are without having to ask and always seems genuinely interested in how my life is going.  The receptionist is wonderful and the dentist himself always numbs me up with the first shot.  Thankfully I haven't been in the dentist's chair in years.  I was without dental insurance for a few years, and the office would let me slide on annual x-rays knowing that I was a cash only patient.  I am still without dental insurance because the plans offered by my employer are not accepted at my dentist's office. I am willing to do the non-frugal thing because I trust everyone at my dentist's office and I genuinely like them. I do believe that developing relationships with healthcare providers is important and, as with most things, cheapest is not always best.

Now for three frugal things I have done recently.
1. Our manual can opener has not been working well for a while. Instead of immediately buying a new one the GH tried tightening the screw holding it together and it works great now.
2. During annual open enrollment at work I verified that all of the discounts that I earned over the past year were applied correctly.
3. When I worked an unexpected closing shift I finagled a long lunch so that I could cook the chicken that had been in the fridge a few days rather than let it go to waste. Even the little frugal things add up over time.

Now onto the clothes.

May 9 - Yes the faces never end.

Top: DKNY Jeans- Last worn here (4th outfit) Cardigan: H&M - Retail 201?  Pants: Banana Republic - Last seen here (3rd outfit)

The Stuff

Earrings: Gift from the GH  Necklace: Online  Bracelet: Retail - Cost Plus

May 10

Top: Ann Taylor Loft - Hand me down from my MIL  Jeans: Levis - Last seen here (5th outfit)

The Stuff

Earrings: Hand me down from Mom  Bracelet: Grandma T  Necklace: New Orleans

May 11

Dress: Calvin Klein - Last seen here (4th outfit)   Cardigan: Jeanne Pierre - Last seen here (1st outfit)

The Stuff

Earrings: Etsy  Necklace: Gift from Susie  Bracelets: Hand me down from Mom

May 12 - With semi-action shot
     
Top: Lilla P - Last seen here (4th outfit) Skirt: Chicos - Last seen here (4th outfit)  Cardigan: Dana Buchman - Last seen here (6th outfit)

The Stuff

Earrings: Gift from Mom  Necklace: Gift from the GH  Bracelets: Retail - Chicos

May 13

Top: Banana Republic - Last seen here (3rd outfit)  Cardigan: Chicos - Last seen here (4th outfit)  Jeans: Levis - Last seen here (1st outfit)

A head shot I liked, plus the hat!

The Stuff

Earrings: Gift from BB  Necklace: Online  Bracelet: Mom

May 14 - I worked Mother's Day so the Moms at work didn't have to

Top: C - Hand me down from Susie  Jeans: Chicos - Last seen here (5th outfit)

Bonus action shot with Fiona

The Stuff

Earrings: Retail - Chicos  Necklace: Online  Bracelets: Mom

Thanks for reading and see you soon!

As always thank you to blog photographers BB, Mr DC and the GH.