• Home
  • About
  • Categories
    • Wardrobe Capsules
    • What I Wore
    • How To Wear It
    • Casual Work Wear
    • Mom Style
    • Travel
    • Holidays
    • Trends To Try
    • Maternity Style
    • Thrifty Tips
    • Shopping
    • Beauty
  • Shop my outfits
  • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Helping women love what they wear on a budget

Summer Favorites- Wardrobe Essentials

July 28, 2017 by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites- 5 summer clothing essentials

We are officially in the dog days of summer.  Don’t get me wrong, I love summer.  Who doesn’t?  But sometimes I get really bored with my summer wardrobe.  The heat can really limit you on what you can wear.  In the spring I get so excited for shorts, sandals, and dresses, but by the end of July, I really start missing my jeans and cardigans. 

To help me pull through these last few weeks of summer, I’ve decided to do a 3 part series to focus on all my summer favorites.  I will be sharing all my favorite summer wardrobe pieces, beauty products, and accessories.  Today I want to start off my series by talking about my favorite everyday summer wardrobe pieces.

As I said before, getting dressed in the summertime can be challenging when it’s 110 degrees outside, but I have narrowed down my closet to 5 must-have clothing items that I’ve had on repeat this summer. 

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

LBD-  If you’ve been reading along, you know I love a great black dress.  I live in these dresses during the summer.  I really just love how versatile black is.  It can be accessorized in so many ways.
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites- Black sundress with denim vest
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites- Black sundress with denim vest


Denim vest-  I bought my denim vest for $2.50 at Savers a couple months ago and it might have been the best 2 dollars and 50 cents that I spent all summer!  The sleeveless style makes it perfect for layering in the heat.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites- Black sundress with denim vest

Jean shorts-  I prefer to wear long jeans, but when it’s really hot, jean shorts have been my go-to bottoms.  I bought this Abercrombie pair of shorts (seen below) at Savers for $5 this past January.  They are a little on the short side, but they’re super comfortable and have quickly become my favorite pair of shorts.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites- jean shorts

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites-lose fitting tank tucked into jean shorts

Loose-fitting tank tops-  I am just loving to lose tank tops that you can tuck into your shorts.  I’m loving this look because it’s much more flattering and comfortable than a fitted tank. 
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites-lose fitting tank tucked into jean shorts with converse


Maxi dresses-  The hardest part of getting dressed in the summertime, is figuring out how to dress for work.  I can’t wear shorts, sandals or thin tank tops.  I find maxi dresses a great summer clothing item for work because they help me stay covered up, but they are also comfortable to wear in the heat.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites-stripe maxi dress with denim vest
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life || Summer Wardrobe Favorites-stripe maxi dress with denim vest

Those are my 5 go-to favorite pieces of clothing this summer.  Stay tuned for next week when I will be sharing my favorite beauty products of the summer!

Filed in: Affordable Fashion, outfits, Summer Style • by Katie Haller • Leave a Comment

How to Wear a Little Black Sundress

July 25, 2017 by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Making the Most of Your Wardrobe
I feel like out of all my closet staple pieces, nothing compares to a little black dress.  You just can never go wrong with it.  I have a ton of LBD’s in my closet.  Some are dressier and some are more casual.  I am more likely to hang on to a black dress for years if I like it.  The main reason I like black is that I can wear it over and over again in new ways each time.  It’s hard to get sick of a black dress.
For today’s posts, I picked out an older black sundress that I’ve had in my closet for a while. (similar here)  It’s from Target and I’ve always liked the style of this dress.  It’s fitted at the waist and has ruffles at the top.

 Here are 3 easy ways to style this LBD.

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

For the first look, I dressed it up with my grey blazer and black wedge sandals.  To accessorize I wore my blush purse and blush necklace.
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Black ruffled dress with grey blazer, black strapy wedge sandals and blush purse
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Blush accessories with black strapy wedge sandals
 Blazer-LC Lauren Conrad Kohl’s (exact) || Shoes- Target (similar) || Purse- Ross (similar)

This next look is a perfect summer work look for me.  I wore my tan sweater and blush flats, then accessorized with the same blush purse as above and a pink bead necklace.
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Black ruffle dress with blush accessories
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Black ruffle dress with blush accessories
Sweater- Old Navy (similar) || Purse- same as above || Shoes- Burlington Coat Factory (similar) || Necklace- Target (similar)

This last look is my go-to weekend look.  It’s perfect to wear anywhere we go on the weekends.  I wore my denim jacket with my cognac braided sandals then accessorized with my favorite turquoise pendant necklace and cognac purse.
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Black dress with denim jacket
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Black dress with denim jacket, accessoried with turquoise and cognac
Denim Jacket- Meijer (similar) || Purse- Last Call Neiman Marcus (exact) || Shoes- Target (exact) || Necklace- Nordstrom Rack (similar)

Below I picked out 8 black sundresses that I am loving right now.  They are all under $25!  You can’t go wrong with that!

Filed in: Affordable Fashion, Making the Most of your Wardrobe, My Closet, Summer Style • by Katie Haller • Leave a Comment

Adding a Pop of Red to your Summer Wardrobe- A Year of Color

July 21, 2017 by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- How to add a pop of red to your summer wardrobe

Happy Friday everyone!  I’m very excited to be teaming up with some of my fellow blogger friends to join in as a host for the monthly link-up “A Year of Color”.  Each month of the year there is a new color theme and this month’s color is red.
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- A Year of Color Link Up

  I don’t think that anyone can ignore the color red.  I mean think of a red sports car, a red room, a red dress or even red food.  It’s so bright and bold.  That’s why when I do red, I like to take it in with small doses.  

When it comes to my wardrobe, I have a couple ways that I like to add a little pop of red to my looks without standing out more than I want to.  I typically save red for Christmas time, but there is another time of year that I love to wear red and that is summertime.  With all the patriotic holidays during the warmer months, it always gives me an excuse to bring out some red in my outfits.  That’s why today I’m going to share 3 ways that I like to add a pop of red into my everyday looks during the summertime.
*This post contains affiliate links which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link I will receive a small commission.  Thank you for your support.

The first way I will wear red is to wear my red cropped jeans.  A few years back, when I was in need of some business casual clothes for work, I wanted to find a pair of colored pants that I could wear to work as an alternative to my black pants.  I ended up finding these cute cropped pants at Kohl’s on clearance for only $5.   I just had to buy them.  I have gotten a lot of use out of these pants over the years.  I feel like they are such an easy way to add a little pop of color into a typical neutral look.
Here is an example of a summer outfit I would wear to work. 
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Adding a pop of color with red jeans
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Adding a pop of color with red jeans

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- red jeans with black wedge shoes

Top- LC Lauren Conrad (exact) || Bottoms- Kohl’s (similar) || Shoes- Target (similar)

       

The next way I like to add some red to my look is to accessorize with red jewelry.  I love my red bead necklace.  I’ve had it for years.  I actually bought this necklace when I went through a red accessory phase in college.  I love pulling it out for Christmas and most recently I wore it for the 4th of July.  (You can check out my 4th of July look here) 
This is an example of how I wore my necklace a couple weeks ago with a simple striped dress.
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Stripe dress with a red bead necklace

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Stripe dress with a red bead necklace
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Adding a pop of color to a black and white dress

Dress- Target (similar) || Shoes- Target (similar) || Necklace- Aldo (similar)

The last way that I like to add red into my wardrobe, is with red nail polish.  I love red nails!  It’s so classic and reminds me of the women from the 1950’s and 60’s.  I do my nails every week and I probably rotate this cherry red color once or twice a month. 
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- cherry red nails for summer

Nail Polish- Sally Hansen Extreme Wear Cherry Red (similar color)

How do you incorporate red into your wardrobe?  Be sure to leave your link below and share your red posts for July!!

Next months link up will be on August 18th and our color theme is Neon!  Hope to see you then!

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- A Year of Color Link Up

An InLinkz Link-up

Filed in: Affordable Fashion, outfits, Summer Style, Year of Color • by Katie Haller • 2 Comments

Summer Tank Cardimom

July 13, 2017 by Katie Haller

*This post is sponsored by Multiwear.co.  All opinions are 100% my own.
It was about this time of the year last summer that I was in the heart of breastfeeding and pumping.  Jack was 5 months and I had finally felt like I had a good handle on my breastfeeding/pumping schedule and routine.  I look back and think of the happy bonding time that I had with my baby.  The only negative thing I can think of was the challenge of breastfeeding during the warm summer months.  Summertime is not always the ideal time of the year for snuggling up and nursing your baby under a nursing cover, especially when you live in the desert.

 That’s why I was so excited when Multiwear.co asked me to work with them again and share the Summer Tank CardimomⓇ Open Weave Sweater.  This cardigan/poncho is similar to the original CardimomⓇ that I did a post on earlier in the year (see post here), but it’s designed as a summer option.  I like that this cardigan has an open weave to it making it lightweight and cooler to wear in the heat.  It’s also sleeveless which is really nice.  I only wish I would have had this CardimomⓇ last summer while I was still nursing.  The great thing about this nursing cover is that you can wear it long after your breastfeeding and maternity days are over.  It’s so practical and fits in perfectly with my summer mom wardrobe.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Summer mom look

Here are a few ways that I’m wearing my Summer Tank CardimomⓇ.
I spend a lot of time at the pool in the summer, and I love how this CardimonⓇ works as a simple cover-up that I can easily throw over my bathing suit.  It’s shorter in the front and longer in the back, so it provides nice coverage over your backside, which I like.
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Cardimom worn as a pool cover up
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Cardimom worn as a pool cover up

 I like to wear shorts and a tank top a lot in the summer, but I always like to layer with something, especially when going in and out of air conditioning, but long sleeves are no fun when it’s 110 degrees outside.  That’s why it’s always nice to have a sleeveless cover-up as an option.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Cardimom with shorts and a tank topThrifty Wife, Happy Life- Cardimom with shorts and a tank top


One of my summer essentials in my closet is a little black sundress.  This neutral color is perfect to pair with the black.  I like how it can be worn casually or you can dress it up depending on how you accessorize.
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Cardimom worn with a black dress

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Cardimom worn with a black sundress

If you are looking for the perfect summer nursing cover up or just a great practical summer cardigan, I suggest checking out multiwear.co! 
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Summer tank Cardimom

How would you wear your CardimomⓇ?

Filed in: Mom Style, Motherhood, outfits, Summer Style • by Katie Haller • Leave a Comment

Favorite Summer Sunglasses

July 5, 2017 by Katie Haller

*This post is sponsored by Glassesshop.com.  All opinions are 100% my own.

I’ve always loved a cute pair of sunglasses, but recently I’ve been obsessed with them.  Maybe it’s the summer months or the sunny skies of the desert, but I can’t get enough of my sunglasses.  That’s why I was so excited when glassesshop.com asked me to collaborate with them on a product review.

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Cat eye sunglasses from glassesshop.com

I don’t like to spend a lot of money on sunglasses, yet I am always looking for something that’s stylish and good quality.  Glassesshop.com has an amazing selection of sunglasses, prescription sunglasses, and eyeglasses at an affordable price.  I am in love with these Amanda Cat Eye Toroise colored sunglasses.  They are my new favorite pair!  I love the style of them and how comfortable they are.  I find myself forgetting to take them off when I’m indoors because I forget that I’m even wearing them. 
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Cat eye sunglasses from glassesshop.com
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- Cat eye sunglasses from glassesshop.com
If you’re looking for sunglasses or eyeglasses online, glassesshop.com is the way to go! Since I’m such a big fan of finding a great deal,  the one thing I really love about them is that there is always a sale going on.  They also have a great clearance section with glasses starting as low as $5.95!  If you want to check out Glassesshop.com for yourself you can use this special promo code GSHOT50 and get 50% off your purchase!  Have fun shopping!  

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- summer look with jean shorts and white tank top
Shop my closet
Top- Old Navy (exact) || Shorts- Ambercrombi-thrifted (similar) || Shoes- Nordstrom (exact) || Hat- Target (similar) || Necklace- Nordstrom Rack (similar) || Sunglasses- Glassesshop.com (exact)

Filed in: Accessories, Affordable Fashion, outfits, Summer Style • by Katie Haller • 8 Comments

Off the Shoulder Floral Dress

June 14, 2017 by Katie Haller

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- floral off the shoulder dress
Hey everyone!  I am so excited to share this dress today.  I found it a few weeks ago at Ross Dress for Less for only $8.99.  I was looking for something that was a little more trendy than most of the dresses in my closet.  I am just loving the floral print with the off the shoulder style. 

Sometimes it makes me nervous to make a trendy purchase because I always try to make the most of my clothes and re-wear them in different ways.  I’m always afraid that a statement dress like this will only be able to style in one way.  That’s why the first thing I did after buying this dress was the start to outfit plan, so I could find different ways to style it.  Today I thought I would share 2 of the looks I came up with.

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

For the first look, I wore the dress with my black wedge sandals (similar), my black satchel purse (exact) and some fun jewelry.  I figured that this look would be cute for a shower, dinner date out or even a casual wedding. 
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- floral off the shoulder dress
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- floral off the shoulder dress

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- floral off the shoulder dress

 For a more casual look, I styled it with my white braided sandals (exact) and my new thrift store find black tote (similar).  I figured that this would be a look I’d more likely wear this summer.
Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- floral off the shoulder dress

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- floral off the shoulder dress

Thrifty Wife, Happy Life- floral off the shoulder dress

I found that it’s easy to style a dress like this.  It’s really just about switching it up with your shoes and jewelry, then you can create any kind of look you want.

 It’s not hard to find a cute off the shoulder dress right now in stores, because they are everywhere!  I linked a bunch of similar dresses that I love below.

Filed in: Affordable Fashion, outfits, Shopping, Summer Style • by Katie Haller • 2 Comments

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Next Page »
Thrifty Wife Happy Life Profile picture

Hi I'm Katie! Welcome to my blog! I am on a mission to help women build a wardrobe that they love without spending a lot of money doing it. I believe that everyone has the right to feel good in their outfit, no matter what your budget is! I am excited to have you here!
About me

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Follow me

Amazon favorites

Search

Archives

Disclosure

This blog contains affiliate links, which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link I earn a small commission.  For more information click HERE!  Thank you for your support!

Follow

@thriftywifehappylife

Katie Haller

thriftywifehappylife

Affordable everyday petite (5’1) mom style
A mix of affordable retailers + thrifted fashion
👨‍✈️Wife + Mom of 2 💙💗
💌 katie@thriftywifehappylife.com

I have one month until my Caribbean cruise 🚢 va I have one month until my Caribbean cruise 🚢 vacation and I’ve been outfit planning! 

Here are some looks that I would wear while sightseeing on at the island ports! 

🛍️Comment CRUISE OUTFITS and I will send you the shopping links to this post! 🔗https://liketk.it/5d2E8

#cruisevacation #cruiseoutfit #sightseeingoutfit #whattowear #outfitideas #vacationoutfits
What I wore this week as a 40-year old mom of 2! What I wore this week as a 40-year old mom of 2! 

Which day is your favorite? 

🛍️Comment OUTFITS and I will send you the shopping link to all my daily outfits! 

#outfits #dailyoutfits #dailyoutfitinspo #momstyleinspo #momoutfits #momootd
A week of teacher workwear outfits! The end of t A week of teacher workwear outfits! 

The end of the school year is near, so here’s some more outfit ideas to keep you going for the next couple weeks! 

🛍️Comment WORKWEAR and I will send you the shopping link to this post! 🔗https://liketk.it/5cEBx

#workwearinspiration #teacheroutfits #teacherstyle #outfitideas #springworkwear #springstyle #affordablefashion #whatiwouldwear
April best sellers!! 🌷 These are the items you April best sellers!! 🌷

These are the items you have been loving during the month of April from my @shop.ltk shopping page! 

🛍️Comment APRIL and I will send you the shopping link! 🔗 https://liketk.it/5cAeH

#bestsellers #ltkstyletips #ltkblogger #petiteblogger #affordablefashion #petitepants #styleöver40 #ltkpetite
Need some easy, cute outfits for busy summer days? Need some easy, cute outfits for busy summer days? These Amazon finds are total lifesavers—comfy, flattering, and perfect for throwing on when you’re rushing out the door with kids in tow.

🛍️ Comment SUMMER and I’ll send you the shopping link to this post! 🔗https://liketk.it/5cvHa

#amazonfinds #amazonfashion 
#momstyles #summeroutfitideas 
#ootd #momoutfits #casualstyle 
#affordablefashion #everydaystyle 
#throwonandgo
What I wore today! I love an all black base! It’ What I wore today! I love an all black base! It’s always so easy to build upon! 

🛍️ Comment LINK and I will send you the shopping link to this post! 🔗https://liketk.it/5crGE

#ootd #outfitoftoday #momoutfits #momstyleblogger #momstyleinspo #momoutfitideas #momootd
I’m loving these Amazon dress from the brand @gr I’m loving these Amazon dress from the brand @gracekarin_brand! It’s one of my favorite dress brands! 

Head over to my stories today to get a full try on with all the sizing details and also some discount codes! 

🛍️ Comment SHOP DRESS and I will send you the shopping links to this post! 🔗https://liketk.it/5clz8

#amazondresses #dresses #springdresses #gracekarin #weddingguestdresses #mothersdaydress #graduationdress
What I wore this week as a 40-year old mom of 2! What I wore this week as a 40-year old mom of 2! 

What day is your favorite? 

🛍️ Comment OUTFITS and I will send you the shopping link to all my daily looks! 

#dailyoutfit #momlooks #momoutfits #momstyle #outfittideas #wiwtw #wiw #ootdfashion
Load More Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2025 · Thrifty Wife Happy Life