Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Helping women love what they wear on a budget

What I Wore this Week- Maternity Style

by Katie Haller

It’s been a while since I last documented my work outfits, but this week I thought that I would try to spruce up my work wardrobe a bit.  As I have mentioned before, my current job has a very casual dress code, which I’m really enjoying right now.  Being pregnant, I want to be comfortable all the time.  I also hate dressing sloppy, so I actually try every day to put something cute together that I will feel good in. 
Here is what I came up with this week.  (Please excuse my messy bathroom.  It’s been so dark when I am getting ready for work that this is the only room with decent lighting.) 
Monday
Tank top- Target (similar)
Denim button-down- Target (similar)
Leggings- Kohl’s (similar)
Shoes- Target (similar)
Tuesday
Shirt- Target (similar)
Sweater- Forever 21 (similar)
Jeans- Old Navy (similar)
Shoes- Old Navy (similar)
Wednesday
Shirt- Target (similar)
Sweater- TJ Maxx (similar)
Jeggings- Ross (similar)
Shoes- DSW (similar)
Thursday
Shirt- Old Navy (similar)
Sweater- Target (similar)
Jeans- Old Navy (exact)
Shoes- Target (similar)

There’s no look for today because I don’t have to worry about getting dressed for work.  It’s Nevada Day… a holiday I had never heard of before I moved to Las Vegas.  I’m not sure why every state doesn’t celebrate their state with a day off work?
I hope everyone enjoys the Halloween weekend!

Weekend Wardrobe- Maternity Style

by Katie Haller

Words cannot express how much I am pleased with the current forecast here in Las Vegas.  Yes, I still really miss the fall season back in the Midwest, but I’m loving the temperatures that we’ve been having here.  It’s been in the high 70s and low 80s.  It’s perfect weather!  Especially when it comes to getting dressed in the morning.  Nothing is off-limits.  You can wear a dress, sandals, boots or jeans.  Really anything is acceptable with this kind of weather.
Here are my looks for the weekend.
Saturday
Shirt- Target
Jeggings- Ross
Sweater- Target
Boots- Target
Sunday
Blazer- Target
Shirt- Old Navy
Pants- Target
Scarf- Old Navy
Shoes- Target 
Here is my baby bump picture for the week.  Not much has changed since last week.  He’s still moving a lot and I’m still feeling good.  Despite my belly sticking out, I feel pretty in shape and healthy.  I’ve been trying to get outside for walks and do yoga and other at-home exercises as much as I can.  I’ve got to say that I’m loving this second trimester.
23 weeks baby bump
Have a wonderful week!
 

My Closet-Throwback Thursday~ Denim Shirt

by Katie Haller

Happy Friday Eve!  Here are a couple outfits that I put together last fall using my denim button-down shirt.  I love this top because it’s so great for layering in different ways.  In the looks below, I wore this top with white pants and with a black skirt.  These are both perfect work outfits if you have a business casual dress code.
Denim Button Down- Target (similar)
White Pants- Target (similar)
Nude Shoes- Target (similar)
Navy Blazer- Target (exact)
Sweater- Express bought at the Salvation Army
Skirt- Ann Taylor hand me down from my mom

Hope you enjoyed my Throwback!  Tomorrow is Friday, so why not close out the week with a cute work outfit?  I’m sure it will make your day!

Making the Most of Non-Maternity Clothes~Second Trimester

by Katie Haller

I think it’s finally official.  I cannot hide the fact that I am pregnant anymore.  For weeks I’ve been looking at my belly wondering if anyone could tell that I had a baby in there and not just a big meal.  It wasn’t until one of the dads of a child in my class asked me if I was expecting.  I looked at him and thought, who told you?  Then I looked at my belly and realized that it was getting pretty noticeable.

 One great thing about growing a baby is all the fun that you get to have to find new ways to style your new body.  Pregnancy is not always cheap though.  There are doctor bills, buying things for your new baby and for many of us….unpaid maternity leaves to save up for.  This is why my goal has been to stay in my normal non-maternity clothes for as long as I possibly can.  Maternity clothes can be expensive and I really don’t want to spend a lot of money on clothing that can only be worn for such a short period of time.  That’s why I’ve been searching through my closet and trying out all my normal clothes to see what still fits and figure out how to wear them with my growing bump.

I recently went through and tried on all my dresses in my closet.  I was just trying to get a feel for what I can still wear and what I will be able to wear in the upcoming months.  I ended up having a great idea of how to wear some of my dresses in a new way.  I decided to try styling a few of my shorter dresses as a shirt with a pair of blue jeans.  I ended up coming up with a few super cute fall outfits. 
For my first look, I tried on this blue and white striped dress that I bought at Target a couple years ago for only $2.  After I washed it a couple times, it was always a little short on me, so I usually wear it with leggings.  When I tried it on with my blue jeans it made the perfect maternity top.  I accessorized it with a white sweater and brown belt.  I also wore my brown Steve Madden wedge shoes.  I feel like wearing some kind of heal or wedge helps lengthen out my body a bit.  (I’m going to try to wear heals through my entire pregnancy.  I’ll stop either when my feet swell up too much or I can’t take the discomfort any longer.) 
I bought this sweater dress years ago at Express on clearance after Christmas.  It always looked cute with leggings, but when I tried it on with my jeans, I felt that is made a great maternity sweater with plenty of room to grow.  Again, I wore a pair of wedge sandals to give me some height.  I feel like this outfit will be great for the upcoming cooler months.
Last but not least, I tried on this sweater dress that I bought last year at TJ Maxx.  It’s a cute sweater dress to wear in the winter with boots, but I really like the look with my blue jeans.  I thought it was cute on it’s own, or I could layer it with my navy blazer. 
I’ve got to say that I’m having fun finding ways to dress up my new baby bump.  I’m sure eventually I’ll have to invest in a few key maternity items, but for the most part I’m hoping to be able to wear my non- maternity clothes for as long as I can.  I can’t wait to share more maternity looks with you in the upcoming months!

 

Weekend Wardrobe- Maternity Style

by Katie Haller

I always feel like the weekends just fly by, even when you had a quiet one.  This weekend I didn’t do much, but that didn’t hold me back from putting together some cute outfits.  I always feel like getting ready and putting on something that makes you feel good can totally turn around your day.   I especially feel like it’s important to try and look your best while you’re pregnant.  Pregnancy can be a really exciting time, but it can also be kind of lonely and depressing at times.  There is just so much going on with your body changing and hormones that it’s easy to get down sometimes.  Dressing cute can really help with all those emotions.  Besides, when you really think about it, pregnancy is a very short time in your life, so you really need to embrace this time and have fun with your changing body.

Here are my looks from the weekend.

Saturday

Tunic- Kohl’s
Leggings- Kohl’s
Cardigan- Target
Belt- Target
Boots- Target
Necklace- Charming Charlie
Sunday
Top- Walmart
Pants- Kohl’s
Shoes- Target
Blazer- Kohl’s
Here is my bump picture for this week.  He has definitely been doing a lot of growth in the past couple of weeks.  He’s also moving A LOT!  The other night I thought he was trying to break out.  It’s such a cool feeling, I can’t even describe it.
22-week baby bump
Have a great week! 

 

Creating a Fall Wardrobe in the Heat

by Katie Haller

One thing that has definitely been an adjustment for me with living in Las Vegas, compared to Michigan, is the long never-ending summer heat.  Since fall is my favorite season to dress for, it’s been hard for me to embrace the season with my wardrobe.  I guess wearing all my summer clothes can be a good thing because I’m not as eager to spend money on new fall clothes, but I’m still ready to put away the summer clothes and get back into wearing denim, boots, and scarves… just a few of my fall favorites!

Lately, I have decided to bring on the fall wardrobe, with or without the hot temperatures.  I’ve been going through my clothes and figuring out new ways to wear some of my summer clothes with a few of my favorite fall clothes and accessories. 

Here are just a few looks that I came up with.

This is a new outfit that I recently bought at Kohls.  The top (exact here) was $10.80, found in the clearance section and the leggings (exact here) were on sale for $6.99, both found in the juniors department.  I never shop at Kohls without checking Retail Me Not first for coupons.  I ended up getting 20% off of my purchase.  I decided to accessorize my new outfit with one of my favorite pairs of brown boots and my red beaded necklace.  This look is the perfect mix of fall and summer.

Scarves are one of my favorite accessories to wear in the cooler weather.  Last year I bought a few lightweight scarves at Charming Charlies (read about the scarves here).  They have turned out to be a great accessory for the warmer climate.  I wore this particular scarf with a pair of jeans, a black tank top, and black flats.  Wearing a tank top or short sleeve shirt with a lightweight scarf is a great way to accessorize some fall into your wardrobe when it’s still warm out.   
As I’ve mentioned before, I love my boots!  Boots are one of my favorite fall accessories.  Wearing your favorite pair of boots with a dress is a great way to bring them out when the weather is still warm.  I also love to wear denim in the fall, so I wore my denim jacket with a t-shirt dress. 

I love wearing maxi dresses in the summer, because they keep me cool, and I love scarves in the fall and winter because they keep me warm.  So when I combine the 2 it makes for a great warm fall day outfit.

 For all of you who live in warm climates, I’m sure you can relate to my fall dilemma, but hopefully these looks will help you figure how to bring a little fall into your life…even if you feel like the summer is never ending.

 

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