during the dark & chilly days of this past winter season, it was so much fun to check off our winter list. we made the most of time indoors with potlucks, hot cocoa & knitting. inspired by our winter list, luke & i made a summer manifesto for the upcoming months!
i am so thankful we are not moving this summer. we have moved every. single. summer. for the last seven years. that kind of moving gets exhausting. instead of sitting poolside, we’re usually packing boxes & hauling furniture. hands to the heavens, we’re staying put this summer (& many, many more to come)!! this summer i intend to slow down & enjoy the best of what these long, warm days have to offer.
our 2014 summer manifesto:
– ride bikes on the trails
– grow a garden
– picnic in the park
– go to the beach
– drive-in movie
– make eggplant parmesan
– host a canning workshop (august 16th… more to come, friends!)
– go swimming (at least once a week)
– watch fireworks
– brew tour by bicycle
– grill out on the patio
– host a summer farm party with friends
– make homemade ice cream
– gift neighbors with baskets of garden-grown vegetables
– make refrigerator pickles
– go camping
– attend outdoor concerts in gulley park
– make s’mores around the fire pit
– make pesto
– drink homemade pineapple lemonade
– sit on the porch just because
– take many trips to the lake
– visit the farmers’ market as much as possible
how do you celebrate summer? i’d love to read what you have planned!
love,
natalie
hooray for giveaways! today i am sharing with you white willow grove’s precious stationery line. meagan is the lovely gal behind white willow grove. she creates custom invitations from weddings to baby showers as well as thank you notes & more!
when meagan sent me a package of her goodies, i was instantly in love with her little bunting thank you notes. i love the simple, happy design.
if you checked out my recent teacher gift idea, you might have seen her little thank you note attached to the diy mason jar to-go cup. they’re the perfect little size for a quick note to someone you love. paired with a handmade gift & a sparkly clothespin, they’re just the cutest.
meagan is offering up a lovely package of stationery just for you. your white willow grove set will include:
– 20 small thank you cards
– 5 large thank you cards
– 5 sympathy cards
– 2 prints of encouragement
it’s simple to enter our giveaway!
1. vist the white willow grove shop
2. leave a comment on today’s blog post with your email address & what you’re thankful for today.
i’ll pick a winner this upcoming monday, june 9th, & share the winner’s name here.
love,
natalie
p.s. meagan is offering natalie creates readers 30% off in her shop for one month. simply enter the code “NATALIECREATES” at checkout.
++ giveaway closed!! congrats to tory for winning the giveaway! meagan will email you shortly! ++
i think it’s pretty funny that i am sharing my thoughts on personal style today. really, it all started when i chose my word “quality” for 2014. that little word meant so many things to me, but specifically it meant how i cared for myself.
at the time i rarely thought about how i felt & who i was in terms of how i dressed. i wore yoga pants most days because they’re more acceptable than pajamas. bonus points: it looked like i was going to the gym every day (i wasn’t). once my 2014 word was chosen, #dressinhappinessdaily (join us on instagram!) was born & my journey toward self-care began. you can read more about my self-care thoughts here.
throughout this little journey, my habits have changed but my budget hasn’t.
i’m still that gal who wants to feel cute while wearing clothing with integrity & staying within a small budget. what does that look like for me? about $50 to spend on clothing in a good month. sometimes we only budget $25 for clothing & other months we remove the category from our budget completely.
you won’t find high fashion or “how to wear neon” here. on today’s blog post, you will find some simple outfits & a few ways to shop well while spending a little less cash. here are five tips & tricks to make your budget & closet work for you…
side note: i have been thinking about & documenting outfits for this blog post for some time. during that time, i have also lost about 15 lb. i realize i look somewhat different in some of these photos, but it’s still me! more on my weight loss journey (struggles) soon…
1. shop your closet: i love making my old clothes do. actually, i love making my old clothes fabulous. the very best way to save money? shop from your closet. the floral dress up above has been in my closet for years. paired with my normal go-to cardigan & jeans along with a funky necklace & my bright yellow sandals makes this outfit fun. i picked up that necklace at a thrift shop for less than $2. score!
2. pop some tags: shopping at thrift shops is more popular now than ever as it should be! big props to macklemore. it’s exciting to find a piece of clothing you eyed in the store just a few short months ago. it’s also less expensive & sustainable. the navy & white shirt up above was picked up from goodwill for $3. tip: i keep a little list in my purse of items i am looking for at the thrift store.
3. always re-style: i waited forever to purchase a maxi dress. i almost caved & bought one at a department store that was just ok. i am so thankful that i waited because a week later while shopping at goodwill, i found two fantastic maxi dresses originally from the loft for $4 each. they’re so versatile, too. up above i am wearing the same dress but styled differently. in the first photo, i threw on a loose fitting top with a funky necklace for date night. the other look included my go-to cardigan with matching earrings & sandals for work.
4. inexpensive accessories can make an old outfit feel new: in both photos above, i freshened up my outfits with inexpensive accessories. i purchased the belt from a yard sale for just a couple of bucks. it works perfectly with dresses & loose tops to give some definition to my waist. in the other photo, i purchased that bag from the thrift shop. it makes me feel like i am heading to the beach! it’s so fun how one little change to an outfit can make it feel like you’ve never worn it before.
5. host a clothing swap & embrace hand-me-downs: my girlfriends & i get together for a clothing swap every season. it’s a great time to hang out while cleaning out your closet, grabbing a couple of free clothing items & saving money. it makes me so happy when i see my friends rocking a dress or shirt i just couldn’t pull off. the photo at the very top was originally my mom’s shirt! she passes down clothing to me all the time & i embrace her generous gifts! if you don’t want to host a swap, find a friend who is similar in size to you & trade clothing.
i hope some of these tips were helpful. remember, you are so worth those few extra minutes each day & it doesn’t have to break the bank.
do you have any suggestions for how to save money while dressing well? please share!
love,
natalie