spring favorites

a few of my picks for this spring. who wants to go shopping?!j. crew $39.50

target $10.48 on clearance

j. crew $168

american eagle $24.95

j. crew $85

forever 21 $19.80

urban outfitters $29

forever 21 $7

striiiiiipes

this weekend was quite the success in deal finding, but i still only ended up with 3 things. because 2 of them i need to take pictures of, i will post with the one i could find online today. i don't usually wear one pieces, i tend to buy tankinis, but this one from old navy fit perfect and called my name when i saw the stripes! the grey stripes are a lot lighter in person, much like that one from j. crew below. i didn't even know i was getting a knock-off till i searched the j. crew swim site today. i can't wait for summer.

j. crew $86

old navy $29 (i got it for $20.50 w/ my coupon)

chambray

i love chambray and love what's out there for spring right now! matt hates when i wear chambray button up shirts because he feels that if you slap on an embroidered kitty cat, i'll look 50 years older. however, he wears his dress pants to church with the pockets that look like denim pockets so it's a fair trade.

i love this skirt, but only could wear it with a pair of leggings...for those of you without skirt length restrictions, please go to town for me! i realize the 2nd one is not real chambray, but it still works.

1. j. crew $69.50

2. old navy $24.99

this weekend i have a coupon for gap inc.'s give and get program which means i get 30% off all weekend on every purchase at all gap brands. i will post monday of my great finds!

galoshes

although winter will be over on sunday, spring here in the northwest does not mean cool breezes with sunny skies and flowers blooming. it means rain and lots of it. so after wanting green hunter brand rainboots for 2 years now, i have found some reasonable substitutes!

1. $125

2. $24.99

3. $50

1. nordstrom 2. old navy 3. zappos

checkered

i love all the checkered shirts that j. crew carries but am never able to spend the amount they demand. i've found that target is the treasure trove for checkered shirts, which makes me verrrry happy.

1. $72

2. $19.99
3. $69.99
4. $19.99

#1 & #3: j. crew #2 & #4: target

some changes

due to my lack of creativity and/or lack of writing skills, my blog posts seem to always be about nothing in particular and full of a lot of pictures to fill the empty space. from this realization, i've decided to dedicate this blog to something i actually know about (or rather am passionate about but using the word "passionate" to describe my love for clothes seems vain and trivial). i often am asked on a weekly basis where i get my clothes from or get compliments on my style. through this, i've realized that am i not only addicted to shopping, for clothes and groceries (but no one wants to read about my grocery trips), but i am addicted to finding the best deal out there. multiple times i have bought a shirt on sale, then found out it was discounted even cheaper a week later so i'd return the shirt i bought (if i haven't ripped the tags off yet), and go buy the cheaper one. this may seem like a wasted trip, but i've saved so much money that way!

tip#1: don't take the tag off new clothes until the day you are going to wear it!

i have no idea what the show "deal or no deal" is about but i've decided to have it be the theme for my "new" blog. i'll post some new cute trends, new clothes for the season, something i've been drooling over, etc., and then post the store of where you can find a similar item for a cheaper price. this isn't just about me and what i like (shocking!), i encourage all of you to send me pictures, links, prices, websites, of something you've been eyeing but can't afford, and to challenge me to find something similar to a fraction of the cost.

sound fun? email me!
lfrieszell@gmail.com

a wedding on wednesday

can i please just have this wedding made for me, everything done the exact same way? this would be my idea of the perfect day...

the couple had all their guests hop on rented bicycles and take a tour around L.A. where they stopped for a picnic in the park, a make your own ice cream sandwich shop, and then toasts under a colorful backdrop. and THEN a reception with a mini golf course (instead of a dance floor; my dream!) that told their love story.

Source: Martha Stewart Weddings Photographer: Rachel Thurston

weekend inspiration

most thursdays my wonderful friend yeisy has a craft night at her place. yeisy, my sisters, lisa, and i get together and work on whatever craft we're in the middle of while watching the Vampire Diaries (for yeisy and lisa) and Grey's Anatomy (for yeisy and me) and on occasion, some Bones. we haven't had one lately and my future craft ideas have been piling up! here are a few things i plan to make within the next couple craft nights. or attempt to make...

i realllly want to sew my own curtains and i've found so many nice fabrics lately, i'm getting antsy to get them done!

anthropologie

i hand-sewed some felt stuffed animals last week for a friend's baby shower gift and now want to try crocheting animals for future gifts and eventually my own babies...in the future...the very far future. very far. this adorable owl is from etsy FiveSisterz

these t-shirts are from j. crew factory online but who is going to pay $24 for a t-shirt plus s+h!? not me! i'd like to find some deep v-necks from target and then sew on my own flowers. this project is a little iffy if it will turn out looking good...or looking like someone threw up pieces of fabric onto a t-shirt.

j. crew factory

and finally i found some really pretty fabrics at joann's from robert allen for dwellstudio that i'd like to sew into pillow covers. the ones below are not sold there, but as you can see, his textiles are delish!

robert allen

trail mix

+=

and i can't stop eating it.

Miranda July / How to Make A Button

fascinating!

winter festivus for the rest of us!

today, i made this:

and this: for winter festivus, 2011!

i had to get up at 6am to put in the roast which would explain the popular "i got up early and fell back asleep and that's why i was late for church" excuse.

cristen made chocolate chip cookies with a delightful pairing of a year 2011 2% milk. a great year for milk, indeed.
i can't wait to see what the other girls made for this season's festivus. but now all i can think of is what i want to make for spring festivus! nummzers!

p.s. this one is for you, tara.

mommy, i'm fustwated

i think the same post title works for this one as well...

mommy, i'm fustwated

so for the past 6+ months i've been searching for a modest wedding dress that doesn't look like this:

or this:
or this:

this has been quite the challenge. however, i ended up finding this cute little number from french connection and with some added length, it ended up working perfectly, especially being priced under $200 and FC sending me FREE fabric from London to add to the length!
but after my long and tedious search and the purchasing of said dress, i ended up finding a number of beautiful, appropriate dresses everywhere i turned! (or rather clicked, because i actually only tried on dresses once at j. crew)

j. crew

BHLDN

saja boutique

talbots

yes, that's right, that last one is from talbots. seriously? talbots? yes!

(i've found quite the cute collection of skirts and dresses on my online perusal of their site)

anyways, this discovery of more dresses is frustrating, but for the better, as most of them are over $1,000.