Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Helping women love what they wear on a budget

Photo Shoot in the Art’s District

by Katie Haller

Hey guys! I’m so excited about today’s blog post!  A couple of weeks ago, I met up with a local Las Vegas photographer, Elissa Rangel for an outfit photoshoot.  When she contacted me to collaborate with her I was super excited.  For one, I take my own blog pictures and I thought it would be fun to work with someone who actually knows what they are doing.  And for two, I had seen Elissa’s photos on her Instagram page and I could see she had a lot of talent.  

Elissa is from California and has lived in Las Vegas for about 3 years, just like me.  She has a daughter who she often uses as a model in her photographs.  On her blog, Elissa shares some great photography tips like What to Wear to Your Photo Session and 5 Tips to Help You Take Better Pictures of Your Child (tips I desperately need!!).  Elissa also has a YouTube channel where she shares her editing techniques and photography inspiration and tips.  
I met with Elissa on a hot Saturday morning in the Art’s District in Downtown Las Vegas.  If you have never been to the Art’s District, I suggest you go.  It’s a different side of Las Vegas that most tourists never see.  No casinos, but it’s filled with vintage antique stores, pawnshops, thrift stores, brewery’s, yummy restaurants and trendy coffee shops.  Just like in many cities in America, downtown Las Vegas is being revitalized by its hipsters and artist community.  It’s really the perfect spot to take blog pictures. 
Elissa was great to work with.  She was very nice and professional.  I warned her that I was not a model.  I’m still not very comfortable with getting my picture taken, even though I share pictures of myself and my outfits all the time on my blog and social media.  Elissa made me feel very comfortable in front of the camera.  She made some suggestions and had a few visions on what kind of shots she wanted to get.  She was also opened to the ideas that I had.  
We shot 3 different outfits, which for me was very hard to narrow down.  Typically, I get an idea in my head for an outfit and I put it on when I have time and take a few quick pictures.  This photoshoot took some planning for me.  I have been trying to be resourceful with my wardrobe lately, so I told myself that I wasn’t allowed to go shopping for anything new for this posts.  I had to find pieces in my closet that I could re-wear in new ways.  I feel like the outfits were a good choice and show off my style well. 
*This post contains affiliate links, which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link, I will earn a commission for this blog.  Thank you for your support!
Top– Shein (exact) || Shorts- Charlotte Russe (exact) || Sandals- Burlington Coat Factory (similar) Earrings- Target (similar) || Purse- Ross (similar) || Sunglasses-Glassesshop (similar) 
Top- Old Navy (similar) || Kimono- PinkBlush (exact) || Shorts- Charlotte Russe (similar) || Shoes- ThredUP (similar) || Purse- Last Call Neiman Marcus (similar) || Necklace- Nordstrom Rack (similar)

Dress- Express (similar) || Necklace- Nordstrom Rack (similar) || Purse- Last Call Neiman Marcus (similar)  || Shoes- Target (similar) || Earrings- Walmart (similar) Sunglasses- Glassesshop (similar)

I’m thrilled with the way these photos turned out.  I really love the urban feel of the setting.  I want to say a big thank you to Elissa for letting me be her model for the day and sharing these beautiful photos with me.  To learn more about Elissa and find out her rates, head over to her website elissarangel.com or check out her Instagram @elissarangelphotography.

Adding a Pop of Color to Your Wardrobe

by Katie Haller

I love color, but when it comes to my wardrobe, I often stick to neutral and dark colors.  I’m always drawn to black, white, browns and nudes.  That’s why I am always looking for ways to add some color to my wardrobe.  I often add in my color with accessories.  It’s the easiest way for me to add some color without overdoing it.  I love using a colorful purse to just add the pop of color I’m looking for.

*This post contains affiliate links, which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link, I will earn a commission for this blog.  Thank you for your support!

I often get a lot of complements of my coral satchel purse.  It was a gift from my aunt before I moved to Las Vegas.  She said that she thought it would look perfect in the desert and she was right.  I’ve been carrying it off and on ever since I moved out to Vegas.  I love that it’s bright and it just adds that pop of color my outfits need.  I also love the classic style of this purse.  I like to find purses that have a timeless style to them.  A trendy purse can go out of style so quickly. 
Today I wanted to share some of my looks while using this purse and often some similar shopping options for you.  
 

 

So where can you find a colorful purse like mine??  Well, just like most of my wardrobe, you can’t find my exact item in stores anymore.  But you can find some similar classic colorful purses like mine.  For me, I always have good luck at stores like TJMaxx, Marshalls and Burlington Coat Factory.  Usually, you can find some decent brands with good quality for under $40.  I do love classic brands like Coach and Kate Spade and I’m a big fan of outlet shopping, so if you want to make a splurge, I recommended checking out the outlet stores.  The other two places I always find really cute purses for a decent price are Target and Charming Charlie.  Charming Charlie probably has the best selection of colors.  Below I have some colorful purses that I found for under $80. 

Weekday Wardrobe

by Katie Haller

Hey guys!  So I have been collecting a lot of outfit selfies from the last couple of months of my weekly wardrobe.  I’ve been wanting to share a big round-up of all my favorite work outfits from the year, but whenever I go to start writing the post I get so overwhelmed.  That’s why I thought I would take it slow and just share the last couple of weeks.

I take an outfit selfie before work pretty much every day that I like my outfit and sometimes that’s a lot.  Going to work in a cute outfit helps me feel good about my self and puts me in a better mood.  That’s why I love to share what I wear to help all of you get that same feeling.  I don’t love waking up at 5am and getting myself ready to be out the door by 7:15, but I do love having something to do every day.  My job is my social outlet at the moment.  It actually brightens my day when I see my other co-workers coming to work in cute outfits and telling me that they were inspired to dress a little more stylish from reading my blog.

I always like to mention that I work in a preschool classroom, so I have to keep it casual and comfortable, but I still try to stay someone stylish.  I think I may have shared this story before, but I’ll share it again.  My first job out of college was at a child care center and they had a strict dress code.  You had to wear a company polo shirt with black pants or khakis.  I hated it. (not so much the job, just the dress code.)  After that, I always asked at my interviews what the dress code is because I’m just not the uniform-wearing kind of girl.  I’ll save that for my husband.

Anyway, here are 7 outfits from the last two weeks.  A lot of my clothes are thrifted, so I will write where I bought them, what store they are from (if I know) and I will also link a similar affordable option for you! 

 Top- ThredUP– Target (SIMILAR) || Jeans- Goodwill- Hollister (SIMILAR) || Shoes- Walmart (EXACT) || Earrings- Target (SIMILAR)

 Dress- Savers- Old Navy (SIMILAR) || Jacket- Savers- Old Navy (SIMILAR) || Shoes- Walmart (EXACT)

 Top- Shein (EXACT) || Jeans- Goodwill- Hollister (SIMILAR) || Shoes- Walmart (EXACT) || Earrings- Target (SIMILAR)

 Top- Target (SIMILAR) || Skirt- TJMaxx (SIMILAR) || Shoes- Burlington Coat Factory (SIMILAR)

Top- Target (SIMILAR) || Skirt- ThredUP– Forever 21 (SIMILAR) || Shoes- Nordstrom- Converse (EXACT)

 Dress- Walmart (SIMILAR) || Top- Target (SIMILAR) || Shoes- Nordstrom- Converse (EXACT) || Necklace- Kohl’s- LC Lauren Conrad (SIMILAR)

Dress- ThredUP (SIMILAR) || Top- Savers- H&M (SIMILAR) || Shoes- Walmart (EXACT)

Hopefully, this gave you a little motivation for your wardrobe this week.  I hope everyone has a great week!!

Floral Sundress with PinkBlush

by Katie Haller

Hey guys!  So it’s already mid-June and I’m feeling like my summer laziness is really setting in.  I mentioned a few times that June is a long work month for me.  Working through the summer is never fun, but I’ve been getting new kids transferring into my classroom and old kids transferring out, which makes things a little hectic for us teachers.  My work weeks have been busy as always, but my weekends have been amazing!  

We haven’t done much, but every weekend feels like a vacation for me.  The weather this month hasn’t been as hot as the Las Vegas summer’s that I’ve experienced in the past.  We have been getting out around town and spending lots of time at the pool.  The last 2 weekends I felt like I lived in my bathing suit.  It’s also been really nice because my brother and sister-in-law just moved to Las Vegas last month.  We have been seeing them regularly and it’s been really nice.  I’m so happy to have family living in the same metro area as me.  It’s been a long time. 
Now that June is half over I can really start to get excited about next month.  I’ve been really looking forward to July for a while because we have a couple trips planned.  We are taking our first mini-family vacation with just the 3 of us and going to a resort not far from Las Vegas.  We have never stayed at an actual hotel with Jack because all our traveling since he was born has been to stay at our family’s homes.  It should be fun.  We also have a week planned with my husband’s side of the family at the ocean.  To me, there is no better summer vacation than a trip to the ocean.  
With all this excitement of the summer season going on, I’ve been super lazy lately.  I’ve been not feeling up to doing my usual weekend chore routine.  I’d rather get out of the house and enjoy the weather, than clean toilets and floors.  (I’m trying to work on my husband about getting a house cleaner for that, but we will have to see if he will give in.)  I’ve also been super lazy about cooking, but I always seem to get like that in the summer.  Pretty much all of our meals come out of a Trader Joe’s frozen meal bag, or I find something that takes under 20 minutes to make.  I promise I will get a blog post out soon on some of my favorite quick and easy meals.  The last thing I’ve been pretty lazy about this summer has been my wardrobe.  
*This post is part of a collaboration with PinkBlush.  All options are 100% my own.
Lazy style doesn’t mean that you have to look lazy while wearing it.  It just means that you don’t have to put as much effort into it.  I’ve been wearing a lot of dresses and rompers because they are easy to style and make for light laundry loads.  I’ve really been loving floral prints this summer and this ivory floral sleeveless dress from PinkBlush is the perfect lazy dress for summer.  The print on it gives it the perfect amount of style to dress it up or dress it down.  It’s so pretty, you barely need to add any accessories to it.   For this look I’m sharing today, I decided to dress it up with my strappy heels and little blush crossbody purse.  For jewelry, I kept it simple and found some simple goal pieces.   I’m planning on wearing it to work soon, so I’ll probably wear it with a denim jacket and some flats.  I figured it would be perfect to wear out for dinner while on vacation with my wedge shoes or flat sandals.  Either way, I wear it, it’s the perfect effortless summer dress. 

Want to find more summer floral dresses to add to your summer wardrobe? Check out PinkBlush! 

PinkBlush

The Ultimate Mom Summer Wardrobe

by Katie Haller

I know that I complain about dressing in the summer a lot because it’s so hot.  I miss jeans and layers, but there are a lot of great things about summer clothes.  For one, it’s easy to get dressed in the summer.  There are fewer pieces and less need to accessorize.  Summer clothes also keep your laundry loads smaller.  Pretty much your summer wardrobe should be cheaper and easier than your winter wardrobe.

*This post contains affiliate links, which means that by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Thank you for your support.

Today I wanted to break down my favorite pieces in my summer wardrobe and share them with you.  I want this post to be a resource for all you moms out there.  I hear from so many of my friends and women I talk to that they have lost their sense of style after becoming a mom.  I think that sometimes we just get so caught up with our kids that we forget that we have other clothes in our closet beside the workout clothes.  Fashion does not have to be expensive or hard.  Sometimes it just takes a minute to think about what it takes to get your style back.  You might be surprised by how simple a summer mom wardrobe can be.

Below, I’ve broken down 4 categories in my wardrobe… dresses, tops, bottoms, and shoes. You may already have these pieces in your closet, and if you don’t, I’ve listed some affordable options for you. 

Dresses
Maxi Dress– I love a good maxi dress in the summer.  It’s so easy to throw on and go! I prefer a nice solid color maxi or a simple pattern that I can wear on repeat all summer. 

T-shirt dress– A t-shirt dress is another throw on a go dress.  It doesn’t take a lot of accessorizing, just a necklace and a pair of tennis shoes or sandals and you are good to go. It’s perfect for errand running. 

Floral Dress– I think everyone needs a little floral in the summer.  I love all the different prints out there.  It’s just so summery and fun! 

Solid Color Dress–  I’m a big fan of solid-colored dresses.  My go-to color is black, but every now and again I’ll throw in a bright color. 

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Tops

Peplum top– I love the peplum tops with the little ruffle at the bottom.  They are so fun and girly.  They are super easy to wear with jeans or shorts.  I recently found an Old Navy peplum top at Savers and so far it’s becoming one of my favorite tops for the summer. 

White Blouse– As a mom and a preschool teacher, white has always scared me, because I’m always worried about messing it up, but lately I’ve been loving my white tops.  They are so classic and go with everything. They have made their way into my summer wardrobe.

 T-shirt– As a mom, what’s better than a t-shirt?  Especially a striped t-shirt! I wear t-shirts all the time.  I really love V-necks.  You can tuck them, you can knot them or just leave them out.  Nothing is easier than wearing a comfy t-shirt and some jean shorts. 

Chambray top– I love a good chambray top.  In the summer I wear my short sleeve chambray top a lot.  It’s so cute with maxi skirts or shorts.  I can’t get enough of mine.  

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Bottoms
Denim skirt– I’m all about jean skirts this summer.  I love the lengths of them this season.  Not too short and not too long.  I love how casual a jean skirt is. 

Mid-Length skirt–  I’m loving the mid-length skirts right now.  I’m short, so my maxi skirts and dresses always need a hem or a high heal with them.  A mid-length skirt is a perfect length for me. 

Distressed jean shorts- I just bought 2 pairs of jean shorts for the summer and I love them so much.  They are so comfortable and casual.  Everyone needs a great pair of jean shorts. 

Jeans–  Even in the heat of the desert summer, I still wear jeans.  I love a good cropped pair of jeans.  If they are distressed, even better. 


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Shoes
Converse– My Converse Chuck Taylor’s are my most worn pair of shoes in my closet.  I honestly don’t know what I did before them.  I wear them with literally everything…dresses, jeans, shorts, skirts….everything!

Sandals– A good pair of classic sandals that you love should be in your wardrobe for sure.  I bought a pair of Madden Girl sandals at Burlington Coat Factory for only $10 and they are my go to sandals.  They go with everything.  

Slides–  Let’s be honest, sometimes we are too busy putting the kids’ shoes on that we almost don’t have time to put on our own shoes.  That’s why slides are the perfect mom shoe.  Just slide them right on.  They will go with everything too!


Wedge Sandals– Wedges are my favorite because they are much more comfortable than heels. They are an easy way to dress up an outfit and give you a little height too!

So there you have it.  These are all my favorite summer essentials.  So whether you’re a stay at home mom who lives in leggings, or a working mom who feels like you have no time for shopping and outfit planning, hopefully, this post can be some help for you.  I wear everything from this list.  Summer is a time to simplify your life and enjoy your family, so make your wardrobe easy and light!

Summer Swing Dress

by Katie Haller

June is a long month for me.  Unlike most teachers, I have to work all summer long.  I’m used to it though.  I’ve been working in early childhood for 9 years now and I’ve never had a job with summers off.  It’s okay though because I have a lot of time off in July and I’m just counting down the days until then.


*This post contains affiliate links, which means by clicking and/or making a purchase through a link, I will make a commission for this blog.  Thank you for your support!
During the summer, I love wearing dresses to work.  They don’t take a lot of effort to style and they are so comfortable, especially when it gets really hot.  This striped swing dress below is from ThredUP and it has quickly become one of my favorite everyday dresses.  It’s perfect for work because it’s casual and I can wear it with my converse or a pair of flats.  It also has short sleeves, which is nice, because I don’t need to layer it with a sweater or jacket for work, like some of my other dresses.  I also love wearing it on the weekends with some sandals or wedges.  Below, I wore it with my slide wedge sandals… also from ThredUP.  The tote purse is from Savers.  I get so many compliments on this purse and people are always surprised when I tell them it was $4 at Savers.  To be honest, it’s just a good basic tote, but can you ever go wrong with something so simple like that? 

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