It's The Simple Things In Life

The simple things in life? How can anything be simple in life. When you're waking up for an 8 AM class or just waking up late for a class, simple is what you lean towards first! 

4 items every girl should have in her closet:

1. Tights

2. Tees  

3. Denim Button-Up

4. Boots 

(Notice how these 4 items alone make up a simple outfit.)

Not only do these 4 items make up a simple AND CUTE outfit, but, it also allows you to expand your outfit options in a super fashionable way. When you're waking up early in the morning or just before you need to be in class, this is an easy outfit to throw on and throwing your hair up just enhances the look. ***Just remember to add a little accessory. Whether it's a statement necklace, big stud earrings, bangles, or even just a SIMPLE empire belt, always always ALWAYS carry a cute bag along with you.

Accessories = EVERYTHING in an outfit. It honestly doesn't matter what kind of clothes you throw on your body, if you don't have the right accessories to enhance your look, no one's going to notice, and your simple and cute look will be pointless. I'm a DIY kind of person. This way I can use old t-shirts or just clothes with good fabric to upgrade my simple sweatshirts or tees to a good fashionable look.

Adding pockets to plain t-shirts adds a different look to your wardrobe and whether it's "in" or not where you're from, it will be shortly after your creation! :)

Not just t-shirts create a simple look, sweatshirts, hoodies, and tanks are also simple looks that can be made fashionable and cute. I'm just going to throw out a bunch of different outfit ideas that are so simple, and so cute.

Yes most of these simple outfits are for fall or winter seasons, but, seriously? Who wear anything but a bikini in the summer time!? :) But, if you want simple, I will give you my absolute favorite outfit for the summer time. High wasted shorts are really in right now and if you add a plain black tube top and tuck them into the shorts with a pair of sunglasses, you are looking gooooood! ;)

Idk about you guys but I'm all about that simple life. If you're not, you definitely should be. (Or you will be when you hit college)

***Advice of the day: Load up your accessory collection! Accessorizing every outfit you put on will instantly make it more fashionable! Britney Spears pulled off the simple white tee in the 90's and it hasn't gone anywhere. (Not to mention the high wasted shorts.)

We just discovered the power of accessories since then! ;)

xoxo Joyce

Rent or Buy; New or Used

Welp, it's about that time of year again. Summer vacation is starting to dwindle, and those worries of paying for your college textbooks are arising (unless money isn't a problem for you silver spooners). My first year of college I was going into it wanting to buy all brand new textbooks because it was my first year and I wanted it to be the best. Until I looked at the prices, WOWZERS!! A couple hundred dollars for one textbook!? That's just ridiculous! I instantly went looking elsewhere for a better source.

The first thing you have to figure out is whether you're going to rent or buy. Buying a new textbook is pretty much a waste of money, unless it's something you're going to be using for the rest of your life. Me, I rarely ever used the books that I rented as it was, so there's no way I'm buying any new OR used books. In my opinion the best route to go is renting used books. With all that green you save, you'll be able to purchase those new shoes you wanted! :)

Whether you're going girly:

Sporty:

or Boots!:

Whichever you fancy more is your call but wouldn't this be nice?! :)

My go to place is www.chegg.com

Not only can you rent used books (best and smartest choice) at the lowest price around, but, you get them fast and easy, you rent them for an entire semester at that price, and when it's time to return them, you will already have a free shipping sticker to send back! FREE SHIPPING!!! Free anything is a gold mine in a college town, but when it comes to shipping, it's at the top of my list!

The process is so simple!

If you happen to have made the mistake of buying any textbooks in the past, Chegg will also buy them back from you for a fair price! Don't make the mistake of thinking, "Maybe I should go all out since it's my first year." or "...it's my last year." or "...I'm in college now." That's stupid! Plain and simple. Save that money and rent used. Once again you won't be judged as being a cheap-o! :)

***My best advice is to at least wait until your first class to see if your professor will even use a textbook in that class. Yes it's a good study tool, but if your professor isn't going to use it, then there's no point in studying something that won't even be on the exams. Over half of my textbooks were unused due to the fact that none of the content was used. If you're taking a math or english class, definitely get it. You will use it everyday. This is a tricky deal because some professors use content from the textbooks, but do not assign anything from the books. Make sure you know what's going on first! :)

Good Luck!

Be the one sitting on an extra pile of cash! $$$$$ 

xoxo Joyce

Preview of My Blog

It's summer time! This means almost every college student is thinking about what swimsuit to wear to this pool party, which boy/girl to have a fling with, or man I need more alcohol! I'm going into my second year at Kansas State University, and yes, I like to think about these issues as well, but, my summer vacation has been filled with a lot of work, little play, and fair pay. As my vaca is narrowing and coming to an end, I begin to think about my budget crisis! I am a TERRIBLE saver when it comes to money, but, I've learned some good tips to budget myself minimize my spending while getting a lot out of what I buy! From fashion to eating healthy, my blog is going to show you how to get the most out of your money.

I'm all about fashion today, and let me tell you, bargain shopping will be your new best friend, your wardrobe will inspire you, and I will help you along the way!

First things first; WEED OUT YOUR CLOSET!

If it doesn't fit you, why are you keeping it to clutter your closet?! We become attached to clothes that we once wore that were super cute, but, those days are over if they're not going to fit you anymore. Break the attachment and throw them in a box. Make sure you label it (so you know what it is) as "Miscellaneous Clothes." DON'T THROW THEM AWAY! You'll discover later how handy these fabrics can be.

Second; Simply alter those clothes that you don't wear or that don't fit.

Cut those old jeans that fit in the waist, but awkwardly in the leg, into jean shorts! Fringe out the bottoms by using the end blade of a pair of scissors and scrape along the bottom of the freshly cut edges then throw them in the wash for one cycle and, Ta-Da!!

 Cut off any really long excess fringe to your liking. (Old high waist shorts/jeans are in now too!) :)

*** (If you're not the crafty type and don't feel like taking the time to restyle your clothes you can always sell your clothes or just give them away. No one likes a cluttered closet!)

Third; Spot out your local discount stores. (Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack, etc.)

SALES, SALES, SALES! Bargain stores will become your new best friend and the first place you migrate to when you enter a store will be the sale racks! Discount stores will usually always have the best sale racks! Just don't go in once, look around, find nothing, leave, and never return. Give the store a couple chances and visit 3-4 times between each inventory change! Don't feel like you're a broke cheap-o because you're going to the sale racks. Whether that's fact or not, you're just being a smart-o! With any discount store or sale rack, be aware of the return policies. They're usually different than the regular priced items.

Fourth; The internet will be your sidekick

I've found most of my best articles of clothing online! EBay hasn't been one of my favorite sights to look at but hey, it may work out for you! So try it out at least once. You could be surprised. My go-to place is simply online sales. Mostly when you buy online, the sales will be better and you'll have a wider range of options to choose from. Yes, shipping does cost more money than going in yourself, but, think about the gas it's going to take to get to the store, gas isn't cheap anymore. Plus, the stores might not always have what you want that you can get online. Some privately owned businesses have their own websites with the cutest those they make themselves. 

***I'm going to let you in on my biggest secret of all time!...so keep it on the down low.

www.shophopes.com is THE BEST privately owned store online to shop for the cutest dresses (hi-low, maxi, dressy, summer), blouses, accessories, and shoes. There's not much but dresses and blouses right now but the sight is growing so be sure to check it out! :)

My last advice to you today is get out of your comfort zone to try something new, be patient, and have fun! Fashion is always changing and it's always fun!

xoxo Joyce