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.

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

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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Mom-Friendly Bathing Suits

by Katie Haller

It’s the one thing about summer that we all dread…. bathing suit shopping.  I’ve always loved bathing suits, but I never enjoyed shopping for them.  You just never know how it’s going to fit and how you will feel while wearing a bathing suit.  I don’t really think it matters what your size is, you never know how you’re going to feel while wearing a bathing suit. 

*This post is part of a collaboration with PinkBlush.  I was gifted this bathing suit, but as always all opinions are 100% my own. 

When I became a mom, I knew that my bathing suit style was going to change.  I’ve worn bikini’s since I was 13, but after having a baby, a two-piece just doesn’t feel the same anymore.  After having a baby and also having a c-section, I just feel more comfortable when my belly is covered.  That’s why lately I’ve been shopping for one-piece bathing suits.  One-pieces aren’t just nice for having extra coverage, they are also more practical for swimming in.  If you are a mom of young children like me, you know that your pool and beach days are not as relaxing as the days of your 20’s.  Last summer, Jack had no fear of the water, so my pool days were spent holding him, making sure he didn’t jump in the water without me.  This summer he’s just as busy.  I need a suit that I can play in and swim in without worrying about being exposed to.  But I also don’t want to look like a granny, if you know what I mean.  I still want to feel youthful.

When I first learned that PinkBlush carried swimwear, I knew they would have the perfect mom suit for me.  I ended up picking out this red woven knot back one-piece bathing suit.  I’m always super nervous when I order a suit online, but just like everything else from PinkBlush, this suit did not disappoint.  It fits very true to size (I’m wearing a small).  I absolutely love the cut on this suit.  The front is low cut and shows just the right amount of skin.  It’s perfect for all you nursing mamas out there looking for a good nursing friendly suit.  The back of this bathing suit has a really cute woven knot.  I love that I don’t have to worry about ties with this suit because they are always coming undone for me.  I also love this color.  I wasn’t sure at first how I felt about the red, but I went for it anyway and I’m so glad I did.  I love the red!  It’s so classic and fun.  I know it will be perfect for the 4th of July.  With the quality of this suit, I know it will last me a lot of summers to come.  This suit is only $36 and it also comes in blue.  Plus PinkBlush currently has 25% off and they always have free shipping.  You really can’t beat that!

PinkBlush

To make sure that this bathing suit passed the test of mom-friendly, we went to one of the resort pools here in Vegas for the afternoon and I wore my new red suit.  It definitely passed the test.  I didn’t have any problems with it sliding down or coming off.  Even when Jack used me to crawl up because he was too afraid to touch the floor, my bathing suit stayed in place.  I felt comfortable and confident while wearing this suit and I think that’s very important for us moms to feel that way.  By the way, excuse my cranky toddler’s face in these photos.  He doesn’t always enjoy stopping what he’s doing to take pictures with his mama.  

PinkBlush

Making the Most of your Wardrobe- 4 Ways to Wear a Stripe Skirt

by Katie Haller

This summer I’m all about skirts.  They are so light and easy to throw on during the summer.  I’ve been wearing my skirts to work a lot because they are a great alternative to pants.  Last month I found this Ann Taylor striped skirt from ThredUP.  As soon as I tried it on, I knew I wanted to do a post on it to show how versatile a striped skirt can be.  I wear stripes all the time because they go with everything.  This skirt does just that.  It has an elastic waist, which makes it nice and comfy and also allows me to wear it in more casual ways than a skirt with a button or zipper.  Today I wanted to share 4 different ways to wear this classic striped skirt.

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

 Look #1
This has to be my favorite look.  I added a bright pink tank top and wore my strappy heel sandals.
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Top/Skirt/Shoes/Purse/Necklace

 Look #2
I wear a denim jacket with almost anything.  It’s my favorite way to layer.  With this look, I kept the colors simple and neutral.
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Top/Jacket/Skirt/Shoes/Purse

 Look #3
Chambray is always a win.  Here I wore my chambray shirt with some flat sandals.  To add some color, I wore my coral purse.
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Top/Skirt/Shoes/ Purse

Look #4
If I’m going to mix patterns, it’s usually stripes and leopard.  I just love this combo.  This leopard clutch has become one of my favorite closet staples. I often opt for wedges over heals, because they tend to be a little more comfortable, especially when chasing toddlers.
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Top/Skirt/Purse/Wedges

So there you have it.  Those are 4 easy ways that you can wear a striped skirt.  For more outfit ideas and to see other ways I’ve worn this skirt you can follow me on Instagram @thriftywifehappylife.  

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