Day 88- Polka Dot Skirt Dress

Here is another creation of mine from my sewing closet. This "dress" was originally a super frumpy pleated floor length skirt worn by only God knows who. I found it at the thrift store for $1.00 and decided to cut it up and make a dress out of it. I paired it with a mint belt (which came with another one of my dresses) and a retro knotted pearl necklace. I ended up wearing my white sandals ($5.00) since it is a bit short and I didn't want it to seem any shorter. If you have any questions as to how I put in two seams and made a dress, just let me know! Total Cost = $6.00

Day 87- Pink Ballet Dress

Please mind the hair in this photo. The day I wore it my husband was sleeping in so I had to try it on over the weekend when my hair was less than fabulous. I found this beautifully pleated dress at Kohl's for $8.00 and love it so much. It is a faux silk material and lays very nicely. It's difficult to see in this picture but the straps are also black and match the waistband. The shoes are from Nine West and are actually the shoes that were used for my bridesmaids in my wedding. After the wedding, I knew one of my sisters would never wear them again, so I snagged them! Total Cost = $8.00

Day 86- Politican Dress

I always thought I would be a good world leader. I am pretty good at delegating and tend to communicate pretty well. If anyone ever recruits me for such a position, I will have the perfect outfit! This dress is an Eva Mendes dress that I found with a broken zipper for $3.00 ON THE FLOOR, which made it so much better. I quickly snagged it up and replaced the zipper ($2.00) and now look how cute it is. It is a bit hard to see but there is a damask pattern throughout the fabric and puffed 3/4 length sleeves. I went with the cascading pearl necklace (Forever 21 $5.00) and slipped into my heart polka dot shoes (Forever 21 $5.00) for a grand total of  $15.00!

Day 85- Kelly Green Lounge Dress

The color is a bit off in this picture, but trust me when I say this adorable dress is the PERFECT kelly green. I  wear this dress a lot on weekends when I am going on walks with the dog or laying around the house. It is very comfortable and features a tie around the waist which can be optional. Originally, when I purchased it from Old Navy for $6.00, it was about three inches longer, but my cute husband stuck it in the dryer and so it's a bit shorter now. I typically wear my black sandals with it and call it a day (Payless $5.00). Total Cost = $11.00

Day 84- Lace and Cotton Dress

This dress brings back so many memories. I first purchased it from Charlotte Russe for $8.00 in preparation for my Costa Rica honeymoon. It was PERFECT for the weather there and I wore it often. Since we came back from our honeymoon nearly 5 years ago, I have only worn it a couple of times. I paired it with a lace headband that I snagged from my sister and didn't add any extra accessories. Total cost = $8.00

Day 83- Date Night Dress

Ooo La La! I wear this dress mostly never as it is very snug and I feel like a teenager (Forever 21 $5.00). Every once in a while when the hubs and I decide to have a date night I will slip it on with my coordinating flats (Gap $4.00) for a night on the town! It's long sleeved so it works best in the Spring or Fall and actually looks super cute with riding boots and a blue cardigan. This is a "body con" dress which is just girl code for super tight around the rear end. Total Cost = $9.00

Day 82-Black Chevron Skirt

Hello Everybody! Today my blog is featuring a skirt that I made over the winter. It is a black and white mini chevron print. Since it's a neutral color, it goes nicely with pops of more vibrant colors which is why I chose the magenta scarf (Target $2.00) and the magenta shoes (Gap $4.00) to give it a little pop. The white ruffled tank is from J. Crew, but was a thrift store find for $2.00.  I made the skirt in about 30 minutes and didn't have a pattern. I just used some elastic for the band and traced out a pattern from an existing skirt I had. It really is one of the easiest pieces of clothing a person could make, plus you can use nearly any print or type of fabric your mind can dream up! Total Cost = $8.00

Day 81- Whte Eyelet Dress

I was trying to figure out how long I have had this dress, and I believe it's somewhere around 8 years old. I remember getting one in white and black (which has since gone missing) at Gabriel Brother's for $5.00. I like the dress because it's very sweet and feminine. I have to wear a cardigan underneath it as it is fairly low cut.  I paired the dress with a cardigan from Banana Republic for $6.00 and some purple earrings that were a gift. I ended up wearing my white sandals (surprise) which were $5.00. Total Cost = 16.00

Day 80- Magenta Crossover Dress

Day 80! I can't believe it....And I have so many more outfits left to go! Luckily, I have a lot of very comfortable dresses, including this one. I love the magenta color and the fact that it is a stretchy material which is perfect for the summer. This dress has an elastic waist and has a crossover skirt attached to it. I found this dress at a Banana Republic Outlet store for $6.00 in Florida several  years ago. I paired it with my white sandals ($5.00) and my pearl earrings. Total Cost = $11.00

Day 79- Teal Flowy Dress

As I previously mentioned in my posts, when I find a good deal, I sometimes snag several colors of each outfit! This Target dress was on clearance for $3.00 and paired it with a cream scarf from Target as well that was a gift. The silver bangle pictured is from Charlotte Russe ($3.00). The shoes I went with were my white sandals from Banana Republic ($5.00). Total Cost = $11.00

Day 78- Geometric Gray Dress

I LOVE this dress (as I do with most of my clothes) because it is so comfortable. It comes with a matching belt, but also has an elastic waist so it can be worn with or without it. It has flowy sleeves which makes it more feminine. The dress is from Target and was $3.00. I also picked up a few of these for my sisters as they were so affordable! I paired it the dress with a cascading pearl necklace to dress it up a bit for work, which I found at Forever 21 for $5.00. I wore my pear earrings and white sandals to finish the look ($5.00). Total Cost = $13.00

Day 77-Tribal Mustard Dress

I liked this dress so much that I bought an identical one for my baby sister for her birthday last year. I like to wear it in the fall and pair it with some riding boots and a brown belt. The dress was found at a closeout store (originally from Target $3.00). I don't like to wear a lot of jewelry with it because of the busy bust pattern, but did go with my pears and white sandals ($5.00).  I also wore (not pictured) a orangey-coralish type of bangle to pull all of the colors together. Total Cost = $8.00

Day 76- Purple Casual Dress

I found this cute little dress at a thrift store last year, but it was originally from Old Navy. I really liked the color and it was only $3.00 so I picked it up and love pairing it with all sorts of colors. The pictured scarf was a gift and I went with some classic pearl earrings and my strappy white sandals ($5.00). I like this dress because it can be more formal for work and depending on the accessories that are chosen, you can dress it down as well. Total Cost= $8.00

Day 75- Purple Floral Dress

Does this dress look familiar? Well, if you have been following the blog, I have worn the same dress just a few days earlier in another color. I get a lot of compliments on both of these dresses and enjoy wearing them often. This dress is from Gabriel Brother's and was found for $4.00 and features a front tie of the same color. I paired this dress with some purple earrings that were a gift and my trusty white sandals ($5.00). When I wore this to work I paired it with a white cardi. Total cost = $9.00

Day 73- Turquiose Floral Dress

Ya know when you find a shirt or dress that you really like and it's super cheap so you buy more than one? Well I end up in that predicament quite often. I found this dress in both purple and teal from Gabriel Brothers several years ago for $4.00 each. As you guessed, I obviously picked up both (purple to be worn in several days). The dress is very comfortable and goes well with a cardi or just on its own. Since the pattern is pretty busy, I went with some simple Banana Republic white sandals ($5.00) and turquoise bubble earrings (Gabriel Brother's-$2.00) and called it a day! Total Cost= $11.00.

Day 74- Strapless High Low Black Dress

This cute little number was another find from Target on clearance with an additional 50% off. Just a tip: Totally ignore the 30% off rack. 30% off is not clearance, and it's just insulting really. This dress ($3.00) features a keyhole in the back and is made from stretchy jersey material which can be dressed up or down. The shoes are from Payless and were $5.00. I paired the black dress with teal jewelry (because teal and black is amazing) which totaled $4.00. The total cost for this outfit = $12.00

Day 72- Black Beach Dress

Summer is finally upon us, which is great because I have the perfect outfits for summer! I purchased this v-neck black dress several years ago from Old Navy for $4.00 on clearance at the end of the season. I am so glad I did, because I wear it all the time. It features a lightweight cotton blend so it is very comfortable to wear even on hot days. The straps are a bit thicker, so I am able to wear it to work. I wore a teal tank underneath to accent my homemade herringbone that is actually featured on my etsy site : https://www.etsy.com/listing/167144186/herringbone-fashion-scarf?.  The adorable teal bow earrings were a gift from my lovely sister and the sandals are from Payless for $6.00. The bangle is from Charlotte Russe for $2.00, for a total of $12.00.

Day 71- Navy Pleated Contrast Dress

Hello Everyone! Today I have a lovely dress featured on my blog. I originally found it at a closeout store, but it's from Target ($4.00). It features a pleated skirt and is shorter in the front and longer in the back for maximum trendiness.  The sandals are my fave from Banana Republic ($5.00) and the navy braided charm bracelet was a gift from my mom-in-law that she purchased at the Vera Bradley Outlet sale. Total Cost = $ 9.00

Day 70- Light Gray Professional Skirt

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd we are back! Our trip to Europe was amazing in every way, and I will have you know that I did wear a dress on one day that we were gone. We did a TON of hiking and traveling so wearing a dress would not have been practical, although it would have been fabulous.

Now that I am back in the swing of things, I have an adorable light gray pencil skirt which was originally from Target, but I snagged it at the thrift store for $3.00. It is one size too large on me, but still manages to work out alright. I went with my trusty Banana Republic Sandals for $5.00 and completed the outfit with my pearl studs (which were a gift from the hubs) and a Banana Republic shirt that was given to me. Total Cost = $8.00

Day 69- Sweetheart Polka Dot Dress

This dress is another Target find ($3.99). I love love love the sweetheart neckline, which is so feminine! The waistline sits at one's natural waist, so it is flattering to all shapes and sizes. I went with a white cardi for work (Gabriel Brother's-$3.00) and my trusty back up Banana sandals for $5.00. I accessorized with some basic pearl earrings for a total cost of $12.00. Also, I got a haircut! Did you notice?


On another note, Cory and I leave for Europe tomorrow. I thought initially that I would be able to continue my challenge through vacation (and may be able to here and there), but alas, wearing a pencil skirt while hiking up cliffs in Ireland is not easy to do. I will return in just a few short weeks!


Likewise, for those of you interested in listening to my radio interview from last week, I have posted the link here (fast forward to 20 minutes in to listen to my part):  http://www.malone.edu/pioneer-radio/2014-06-05-pioneer-radio-malone-university.mp3

Day 68- Ruffle Gray Pencil Skirt

This is one of those outfits that I wish still fit me. My mom gave me the skirt that I fell in love with, but since it was given to me I have lost weight. I believe it's from Kohl's, but has adorable features. The back part has a ruffle (but Cory wouldn't take a picture of my backside) which is super cute. The top is from NY & Co. for $3.00, the scarf is from Aerie, but I borrowed it from my sister and the shoes are from Payless for $7.00. Total Cost = $10.00

Day 67- Coral Pleated Skirt

Good morning! Today my blog is featuring one of my pleated skirts. If you haven't noticed by now, I love pleats because they are so feminine and and adorable! This skirt was found at Forever 21 during their semi-annual clearance sale. This is typically when they reduce clearance items to 50% off of the reduced prices. It's really worth checking out since I got this skirt for $4.00. The top also features several pleats and is a light weight cotton so it lays nicely. I believe the top is from Old Navy for $3.00 on clearance and the shoes were from Gabriel Brother's for $7.00.  The cascade pearl necklace is also from Forever 21 for $5.00 and the gold bangle is from my great grandmother's dress shop. Total Cost = $19.00

Day 66- I am doing a radio interview about my awesome blog today dress

So.....my small following is growing and the word is spreading about my challenge. I was contacted by a local radio station earlier in the week who said they saw me on Fox 8 and wanted to interview me about my blog. So naturally, I had to pick out the perfect outfit, even though it was over the phone :). This dress is perfect. It was cheap (Banana Republic, Mad Men Collection for $6.00), is covered in lace, has a high waist and can be dressed up or down. I wore this dress ALL the time last summer, and plan to do it again when this challenge is over :). The shoes and necklace are both from Gabriel Brothers for a combined total of $10.00. The gold bangle is from Banana for $3.00. I have worn this dress with sandals, boots, cardigans, lots of jewelry or no jewelry at all. Did I mention it is from the Mad Men collection which is among my most favorite things in all the world??? Total Cost = 19.00

Look out world, Here I come!

Day 65- Brown Maxi Dress

I want more maxi dresses, There, I said it. I know that I have entirely too many dresses and skirts but I really want more long dresses. Cory and I are getting ready to go to Europe NEXT week and I feel like they would be JUST PERFECT, he disagrees. Also, why am I not looking at the camera in these pictures? You think I would have this down by now..I purchased this dress from Gabriel Brothers for $8.00, but it was originally from NY & Co. I bought this dress several years ago before maxi dresses were cool, and was even made fun of as being a "mormon" by some friends. What did they know? I was just ahead of the times.  It's really hard to see the pretty brown sparkly necklace, but Cory got that for me in college, like circa 2006 or something awesome like that. I am wearing a taupe Banana Republic tank underneath that was $2.00 and the braided belt was from Forever 21 for $3.00. The cardigan makes the outfit more work appropriate from Kohls for $3.00. The shoes are Banana Republic for $4.00. Total cost = $20.00

Day 64- Gray Pocket Skirt

I was feeling very tired the morning that I chose this outfit. I wanted something comfortable as it was pretty hot here yesterday. This skirt is a lightweight jersey fabric and pretty much feels like you are wearing nothing, which is both awesome and awkward at the same time. It also has pockets which make it a little bit more wonderful. I found it at Forever 21 for $4.00 and wish now that I would have picked it up in black as well. The top is from Target and features cuffed sleeves and pleats in the front ($3.00). The shoes are from Payless and are super comfortable for only $8.00! I paired the outfit with a necklace which was a gift. Total Cost = $15.00