LINKS TO LOVE

I have decided to start a post series called 'links to love' where I will post links to interesting/fun/creative stuff I have stumbled upon on the internet. So here it goes....

1.) FALL ACTIVITIES IN MADISON - Free activities, festivals, farms/orchards, & Halloween events all around Madison

2.) THE MOM STAYS IN THE PICTURE - An article I read a while back, but has stuck with me. You may not be perfect, but you are always perfect in their eyes.

3.) LESSONS FROM THE TARGET AISLE - A post from one of my favorite blogs that not only gives great advice about raising little boys, but also reminds you not to get your undies in a bundle the next time a mom tries to give you advice. 

4.) THE THRIFT SHOPPER.COM - Put in your zip code and it will show you all of the thrift shops in your area. What?! Looks like it's time to get thrifty! 

SMART SHOPPING - DRESSES UNDER $20

Yup, this is seriously how I shop. Glamorous, no. Necessary, yes.

Since Miss Ellis was born, we have found ourselves living on a budget. They weren't lyin' when they said KIDS AIN'T CHEAP! :) Besides having to tighten the belt on my clothing budget, I have no longer have any time to shop in stores. Besides not having time, I don't really like shopping in the stores anymore. Well...maybe... if I a am with one of my friends and we aren't on any kind of schedule. But let's be real, I am always on a schedule.

Now here is the thing. My husband thinks clothes are a waste of money and you know what, he is right. They are completely material objects that, in the end, do not matter at all.

butttttt...... I guess don't really care what he says b/c I am a girl and I like to have something new to wear to a wedding or out on a date night and that is that. There isn't any changing it. Really, there isn't. It is one of those things were we just agree to disagree on. Plus, I could say golf is a waste of money. Oh that is a whole other conversation..... ;)

So this is how I shop. I am an extreme sale shopper. I shop the clearance (usually juniors) section at department stores because:
1 - PRICE - They have the same kind of dresses that you will find at little boutiques like Francesca's, Page 6, and Red Dress Boutique, etc., but they are about 1/3 of the price when they are on sale and, unlike many of the little boutique stores, the dresses actually go on sale.
2 - FREE IN-STORE RETURNS - You can return in store for free. On-line shopping is in no way prefect. I end of returning half the things I buy b/c they do not fit right, but I just swing by the store and return them for free instead of having to pay to ship them back.
3 - CONVENIENCE - I like shopping at home on my computer in my PJs.

Note: Obviously these are not super high-quaity pieces. They might not be staple items in your closet that stand the test of time, but they WILL satisfy the need of, every now and again, having something fun and new to wear. :)

I shop the clearance section on-line at Old Navy, Macy's and JC Penny. My most recent purchase was from Macy's. I bought the three top dresses shown below. They should be here today! :)

Note: I found a 20% off coupon code on-line. That is why the prices are not matching up exactly.

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM | LEFT TO RIGHT

DRESS 1 | DRESS 2 | DRESS 3

DRESS 4 | DRESS 4 | DRESS 5

Other great website to shop for more high end fashion at discounted prices are:
HAUTELOOK | Rue La La | GILT

They run different sales that usually start while I am at work, so by the time I get to look at them, half the stuff is sold out. They do have some SUPER great deals though!
Darn work! Gets in the way of my bargain hunting! ;)

TARGET DEALS & STEALS

Yes, another post from the Saturday morning routine! Found these deals last Saturday and I just had to share. I am, without a doubt, most excited about the kids books! I about died when I saw that they were $1 each! They are all the classics - adapted and fully illustrated for kids 7 and up! I know I have a 15 month old and she will not be reading for quite some time, but I am so excited to give these to her when she is older.

FLEA MARKET LOVE - PART 2

play kitchen - priced at $50 - got it for $40

It needs A LOT of TLC, but it will be a fun little project for me. Some teal paint and some fun vintage print curtains for the shelves and Ellis will be cooking in no time! I will make sure to post the "after" pic.

big wooden letter "B" (I think it might have be to an old circus sign) - priced at $25 - got it for $20

As you can see, we hung it in the guest bathroom. "B" for Buell or "B" for bathroom. Whatever works, right?!

wooden mint shelf - priced at $15 - got it for $12

Necklace (the longer one)

milk bubble glass planter

vintage neon rulers - I love that the one is form Appleton, WI. 

I plan on using them in Ellis' room on the wall to measure her height as she grows.

J's blue side table - priced at $30 - got it for $25

I am in love with this one. SO CUTE!

J's yellow cedar chest - priced at $185 - got is for $130

WHAT TO BRING:

It will all depend on what you are in the market for.

- Just trinkets?

Bring a large tote of some sort. Reusable grocery totes work well b/c they are light.

- Larger items or maybe just a lot of items?

Bring a foldable rolling grocery cart. Trust me, you will not look silly. EVERYONE is wheeling these babies around.

- Furniture?

A truck or Uhaul and some bungee cords just in case you have to bungee your trunk shut or something to the top of your car. If you are questioning if you can fit it in your vehicle, DO. NOT. BUY. IT.

- Cash – Always bring cash. Vendors typically do not accept credit cards or checks.

- A picnic or a bag lunch – There is food available at most flea markets, but it is typically “fair” food and of the greasy variety. Because I am a bit of a freak about eating healthy, I love to bring my lunch.

WHAT TO WEAR:

- Nothing nice - You will get dusty, dirty and sweaty hauling your treasures back to you car. (note: Vendors are usually really good about helping you bring your items back to your car. They usually have some sort of moving dolly to make the job much easier. At the Elkhorn Flea Market they have equipment at the gates to help you move you items as well. All you have to do is give them your drivers license for collateral. When you give them the dolly back, you get your id back.)

- Sunscreen and/or a hat - most flea markets are outdoors

HOW TO BARTER (in my opinion):

Usually the price of an item will be marked. You can then either suggest a lower price or, if you are uncomfortable doing so, simply ask the vendor “is this your best price?” and they will tell you if they are willing to go lower. They are almost always willing to negotiate. If the price is not marked, they might ask you to name a price. I hate this! I am always afraid I will offend them by asking too little. I usually explain that I do not know a lot about the item and would appreciate if they could give me a price. I will then try and haggle from that point if it is in my price range.  Also, you will have much better luck negotiating prices later in the day. The vendors do not want to pack up their items to bring home, they want to sell them. If you try and negotiate early in the day, they know there is a good chance someone will come after you and pay a higher price.

FLEA MARKET LOVE - PART 1

For me, there is nothing better than a good flea market.  Is is "junk" picking, deal finding, bartering back 'n forth, treasure spotting BLISS. I love it! Sunday morning consisted of a 5am wake up call (from me to Jodie and like I suspected, she hadn't set her alarm clock), COFFEE (always coffee) and a road trip to the Elkhorn Flea Market.  We shopped til we dropped (aka: until we knew we could't fit anything else in the back of J's SUV and ran out of money), met our friends for a back-of-a-pick-up-truck picnic (those are the best kinds) and finally headed home full of dust and just a little sunburnt.  

When it comes to decorating spaces, I would much rather buy a one of a kind, vintage piece with great character than go to Steinhafels and buy some particle board piece that every other American family probably has sitting in their living room. I think it is fun to mix the vintage finds with more modern pieces, so maybe I would go to Steinhafles for those. No, probably not. I would go to Ikea. I know ikea is particle board cr*p as well, but at least it is super cute, right? :) Ok, enough of that and on to the important stuff.