My Closet Archives - Page 3 of 22 - Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Hand-me-Down Bell Sleeve Dress

August 25, 2018 by Katie Haller

Hey everyone! As usual, things have been pretty busy around here. I recently started a new school year at work, so I’ve been busy getting my classroom all settled in. I actually have to say that so far, this has been the best start of a school year. I feel the most prepared for the new year. Everything is the way I want it in my classroom and I have an awesome teacher assistant who is helping me stay organized and on track. The kids are great too! As each school year starts, I always have to be prepared for some kind of challenge, but so far things are going smoothly.

At home, I have Jack who is always keeping me busy. We also have a furry little house guest who is visiting. My brother and sister-in-law are on vacation for 2 weeks and we are watching their cat. Jack loves having the kitty cat around, but I don’t think the kitty feels the same way.

For today’s outfit post, I want to share a hand-me-down dress from my sister-in-law’s closet. A couple months ago, she gave me a bag full of clothes that I went through. I ended up keeping a few things and this dress was one of them. I thought that the bell sleeves were really cute and the print was fun. I felt like this look would be a cute dress to wear on a date night…. if we ever get around to having one.

*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!

I’ve linked some similar affordable dresses below for you.

Back-to-School Teacher Outfits

August 13, 2018 by Katie Haller

Teacher Outfites- 9 Ways to Wear a Striped Dress in your classroom

It’s back to school time, and I am super excited about today’s post! I’m teaming up with 6 other teacher fashion bloggers to share teacher inspired outfits to wear in your classroom. We are from all over the country and teach different grades, so hopefully, you will find some teacher fashion inspiration from that fits your style and budget.

For the last 10 years, I have been working in early childhood education. I’ve been an infant and toddler teacher in childcare centers, I’ve been an administrator at a childcare center and I’ve taught preschool at 3 different non-profit Head Start programs. I am currently going into my 4th year teaching PreK at a Head Start program in Nevada. I definitely have to say that 4 and 5-year old’s are my favorite age in early childhood. I love preparing kids for Kindergarten. When I was younger, I always knew that I wanted to work with children when I got older, but I never thought that I would be working with this group of children. After graduating from college with my bachelor’s degree in Child Development and Family Studies, I knew that I wanted to work for Head Start. If you’re not familiar with Head Start, it’s a federally funded preschool program for low-income families. We work closely with children and their families to help close the achievement gap in education.

I will be the first to admit that my job is not easy. I work year-round, there is a lot of paperwork and many of our children come to us with special needs and behavior problems. There are times when I question why I do this job. This past year was my hardest year ever. I thought about quitting every day and questioned if I really should be doing this kind of job. But I held in there and finally made it to the end of the long year (Yup our school year ends at the end of July and starts back up in early August, so there is no summer break for me.) This year I plan to start fresh and on a positive note.

One thing that always helps me get through my day and stay positive is a cute outfit. I’m a firm believer that your outfit can set the tone of your day. When I wear something that I don’t love or I don’t feel good in, then I’m not going to have a good workday. But when I step up my outfit a bit and wear something that makes me feel good, I’m in a different mood. I’m happier, I’m more patient with the kids and I’m more motivated to get things done in my classroom.

My dress code at work is pretty casual. That’s nice being a preschool teacher because we do everything with the kids… we paint, we dance, we run on the playground and eat 2 meals with the children, so as you can imagine, it can get messy. Luckily we can wear jeans all week long, but I also try to dress up and wear a dress from time to time. Dresses are so comfortable to wear in the classroom, especially when it’s really hot outside.

For today’s post, I struggled with coming up with a really cute and creative look, so I decided to just stick to my basic’s and style a striped dress from my closet. (original post HERE) I think everyone that I work with knows how much I love stripes because I wear them at least 4 times a week. They are just so versatile. When you work with the same people every day, you start to learn about their wardrobe. I try to never wear the same exact look twice. I repeat my clothes all the time, but I just wear them in different ways. That’s why I wanted to share 9 ways that you can style a striped dress to wear in your classroom. This way you can still repeat your clothes, without repeating your outfit.

*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!

Cardigan- Old Navy- thrifted at Savers (SIMILAR) || Flats- Old Navy (SIMILAR) || Earrings- Target (SIMILAR)

Cardigan- H&M- Thrifted from Savers (SIMILAR) || Boots- Target (SIMILAR) || Necklace- Nordstrom Rack (SIMILAR)

Cardigan- Macy’s (SIMILAR) || Booties- Burlington Coat Factory (EXACT) || Necklace- Charming Charlie (SIMILAR) Watch- Jord (EXACT)

Shirt- Unknown Brand- Thrifted from Savers (SIMILAR) || Shoes- Madden Girl- Thrifted from ThredUP (SIMILAR) || Bracelet- Kate Spade (EXACT)

Vest- Brand unknown- thrifted from Savers (SIMILAR) || Shoes- Walmart (SIMILAR) || Necklace- thrifted from Savers (SIMILAR)

Jacket- Old Navy- thrifted from Savers (SIMILAR) || Shoes- Kohl’s- thrifted from ThredUP (SIMILAR) || Necklace- Kohl’s (SIMILAR)

Sweater- Old Navy (EXACT) || Shoes- Kohl’s- thrifted from ThredUP (SIMILAR) || Bracelet- Kate Spade (EXACT) || Belt- Target (SIMILAR)

Blazer- LC Lauren Conrad (EXACT) || Belt- hand-me-down (SIMILAR) || Shoes- Target (SIMILAR) Watch- JORD (EXACT)

T-shirt- Target (SIMILAR) || Shoes- Madden Girl- thrifted from ThredUP (SIMILAR) || Watch- Nordstrom Rack (SIMILAR) Necklace- LC Lauren Conrad (SIMILAR)

The options are really endless when it comes to styling a striped dress, but hopefully, you can use some of these outfit ideas when styling your own dresses in your wardrobe. Don’t forget to check out the other blogger’s post below for more teacher wardrobe inspiration. Thanks for stopping by!!

An InLinkz Link-up

Shein Review

February 15, 2018 by Katie Haller

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’ve been wanting to try the store Shein for a while now. I keep seeing their ads pop up on my Facebook and Instagram. Their clothes are so cute and trendy and even better, their prices are amazing! I was a little skeptical of them at first. It’s always a little nerve-racking ordering clothes online when you’ve never tried out the brand before. I finally decided that I would just give it a try anyway.

A couple weeks ago they had a flash sale going on. I wanted to play it safe, so I ordered 2 stripe tops that were on sale for $8. I figured that tops fit me pretty true to size no matter what, but the site has the measurements listed for each size, so I knew they would fit just fine. My shirts arrived in a little over a week after I ordered them. The quality of the shirts is similar to Forever 21 or H&M, which I have always been a fan of. I wanted something a little more trendy, so the first shirt I ordered was a peplum top. I’ve been wanting to find a cute stripe peplum top for a while, but I didn’t want to spend a lot of money. This top is perfect for what I was looking for. The second top was a striped t-shirt with ruffled sleeves. I love love this shirt. It’s so simple, but the sleeves give it the perfect pop of style.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Shein Reveiw- Stripe peplum top

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Shein Reveiw- Stripe top with ruffle sleeves

Shop SheIn for the latest in Fall and Winter Fashions

I think that a lot of people are afraid to order from Shein because their prices and cute styles seem too good to be true. Well, I can tell you that I was really happy with my Shein experience. I love my new tops and I know that I will be ordering from them again. I’m already eyeing their swimwear for this summer. If you’re looking to add a few trendy pieces to your wardrobe this spring, I would definitely not overlook Shein!

Denim Dressed Up

February 1, 2018 by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Chambray shirt with black pencil skirt, nude pumps and a pop of leopard

Hey everyone! The other day I posted about all my favorite wardrobe essentials, so today I wanted to do a post featuring some of the pieces I shared. I took these pictures back in the fall, but I really love how this outfit can really be worn year-round. It’s a perfect work or church outfit and it’s made from 4 of my essential wardrobe pieces. Here is why I love these clothing items.

Chambray Shirt- I love denim and I think that having a chambray shirt in my closet is a must. I love that I can layer it under a cardigan or over a tank top. It’s perfect on its own as well. I can wear it with white pants, black pants or even jeans. I like wearing it with a skirt because it gives the appearance that you’re dressed up, but having denim on keeps it a little more casual than a blouse.

Black Pencil Skit- This is a must-have in my closet. A black skirt will go with EVERYTHING! It’s flattering and classic. You can find a pencil skirt easily at an affordable price. I’ve had great luck finding skirts like this at thrift stores. I’ve also found cute skirts under $10 at stores like Forever 21 and H&M.

Nude Pumps- I love nude shoes! I prefer them over black pumps. I think that the nude color lengthens your legs and for a short girl like me, that’s always nice. Nude is a very neutral color, so shoes like this will go with everything. My nude shoes are from Target and they are my favorite pair of heels. I can wear them comfortably for a long period of time, which is rare for a heel.

Statement Purse- A statement purse could be anything from a beaded purse to a bright color. I love my leopard clutch. I love to accessorize in leopard print and this clutch gives a sublet pop of fun to any simple outfit.

What are your favorites?

Wardrobe Essentials for the Thrifty Girl

January 31, 2018 by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Wardobe Essentials for the thrifty girl

People often come to me and ask for fashion advice. To be honest, I don’t know what to tell them, because I’m not a fashion expert. I don’t always shop for the latest trends and I don’t know all the designer brands. I don’t even know what certain patterns and materials are called (I still don’t know how to pronounce Gingham properly when I say it). What I do know about fashion, is that I understand the basics. My entire wardrobe is mostly made out of affordable basics essentials pieces. I like to buy clothes that can be mixed and matched with different accessories. I like to re-wear my clothes, but I don’t like to wear them the same way twice.

Today I want to share my must-have wardrobe essentials with you. If you are someone who is lost at how to put yourself together, hopefully, this can give you a guide of what you should have in your closet.

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

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Wardrobe Essentials

Denim Jacket || Navy/Black Blazer || Neutral Color Pullover Sweater || Long Cardigan

T-Shirt (Stripe/Grey/Black/White) || Tunic || Swing Tank Top || Chambray Button Down

Black Jeggings || Distress Jeans || Skinny Jeans || White Pants

Leggings || Denim Shorts || Pencil Skirt || Little Black Dress

Once you have the basic wardrobe pieces, you can easily accessorize them with different shoes, jewelry, purses, and scarves. Here are my must-have accessories in my wardrobe.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Must Have Accessories

Shoes

Brown Riding Boots || Ankle Boots || Nude Flats || Nude Pumps || Convers/ casual tennis shoe

Purses

Black Satchel Purse || Cognac Tote || Statement Purse

Scarves

Leopard Scarf

Jewelry

Dainty Necklace || Watch || Statement Necklace || Cuff Bracelet

Hopefully, this guide can help you build and evaluate what’s in your own closet. If you want to see more style inspiration you can look back at more of my outfit post HERE. You’ll see that I’m almost always wearing something from my essentials list.

Thrift Store Look

January 24, 2018 by Katie Haller

I feel like ever since I moved to Las Vegas 3 years ago, my closet has been overtaken by thrifted clothes. I’ve always loved to thrift shop, but now I have such a great selection of thrift stores in my area. It’s so hard to go back to shopping at normal stores after you have just finished a shopping spree at a thrift store.

On my most recent thrifting trip, I went to my local Goodwill store. I’m a VIP member there and they always have great sales every day. On Sunday’s they do a fill-a-bag sale, where they give you a bag and they pick a color tag that you can fill as much into your bag of that colored tag that will fit for $12.99. I’ve never actually done a fill-a-bag sale, but on this particular day I ended up finding some really cute things. I came home with 2 blouses, 3 dresses, 3 striped tops and a pair of jeans. I probably would have stuffed more in my bag, but it was getting close to nap time and Jack was getting pretty restless. Everything I bought rang up to $50 which is a pretty good deal for 8 different clothing items, but I only paid $12.99 which is even better. It’s so addicting when you get sales like this. I should also mention that you don’t pay tax at the Goodwill, which also helps keep your sale price even lower!

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

Here is one of the outfits that I bought. The top is Tart brand, which you can find that brand a lot at Nordstrom Rack. I believe the jeans are from H&M, but the tag was cut out. The jeans were super comfortable, but a little worn out, so I decided that I would distress them myself, the same way I have done it to my other jeans. (Read about how to distress your own jeans HERE.) I accessorized my look with some of my fun designer jewelry from my Rocksbox. (Be sure to try out a free month of Rocksbox. Click HERE and use my code thriftywifehappylifexoxo)

Shop my Closet Styles

Are you a thrifter? If not, I highly suggest checking out a few thrift stores in your area. Find out what the sales are and I promise, you will have a hard time going back to the mall.

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