On my way to California!

I am currently up in the air on my way to California! Going to visit my little sister Natalie who goes to school in San Jose but we will be going to San Fran as well. Cannot wait! So much has gone down these past few weeks of my life. First of all, life without an iPhone really sucks! It shows me how much I depend on the internet/twitter and mindless things like that but I miss it so much! Also, more than likely, I will no longer be taking the job in Mexico for many reasons. One being the fact that Mexico is very dangerous right now... Instead, I am beginning to apply to graduate schools for my MBA.. Going to check out some schools this weekend. Hoping to start in the fall and I think I hear California calling my name.

Can't wait for pink berry, in-n-out, gorgeous weather and of course spending some time with my lovely sister Naty :)

still have some pictures to post from my weekend in Charlotte but my computer is about to die!

a quick recent purchase = not this exact dress SJP wore but the XOXO version - buy it here

Have an amazing weekend everyone!! :)

Recovering

...and that pretty much sums up how much fun last night was! Knowing how to party definitely runs in the family :)

I did my cousin's hair and makeup - loved how it turned out!

Wore my Parker dress! Kind of want the snake skin print one now...

The only bad thing is that I lost my iPhone!! Going to the Apple store tomorrow and this will be iPhone number 6... yup.

xoxo

Pamela

Happy Birthday Adabelle!

HAPPY 22d Birthday Ada!

My wonderful gorgeous cousin Adabelle turns 22 and I cannot wait to celebrate with her tomorrow evening! She is like another sister to me and I am so excited for tomorrow! LOVE U ADA! :)

I have been having a relaxing week still taking care of my mom, working out, and working on my tan :) Today, my sister came home from her mission trip in Mexico and then we all had dinner. Now I am enjoying a glass of merlot while watching "Ghost Adventures" on the travel channel.

Some recent purchases...

Jessica Simpson shoes - purchased at dillard's but you can buy here

H&M Haul... still no luck with the Garden Collection..

another loose white shirt to add to my collection lol

loose grey t-shirt... lol

light weight black blazer (excuse my dirty mirror!)

Madewell Georgette Flutter Dress - purchased on sale at the Madewell store but you can buy on shopbop

Total coincidence but one of my favorite bloggers - Emily from Cupcakes and Cashmere featured this dress on her blog the same day! I bought it because I think you can dress it up or down AND you can add tights and a blazer and it's perfect for winter!

Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful weekend!!

xoxo

Pamela

Frugalista Shopping

Obviously (ahhhviously) I would love love love to have no limits in my budget when shopping - who wouldn't?

But unfortunately, I do not have a money tree in my backyard or an unlimited credit card, so I try to balance my own finances and try to make smart decisions when I am out shopping (key word: try). However, one of my new years resolutions was to only buy things I LOVE.

Previously, I had a habit of over-buying clothes and accessories at stores like Forever 21, H&M, Urban, etc. and they would just pile up in my closet collecting dust since I didn't really even want them in the first place. So whenever I am shopping I ask myself the questionS - "Do I love this?" - "Will I truly regret it if I do not buy it?" - "If I saw this one someone else would I go and ask them where they bought it?"

These questions really help me and so far this year I have been good about my purchases and love every single one.

Anyways, back to frugalistic shopping (which I do not always do...) - I find that you always find the best deals when you are not looking for them, and you can sometimes find them in the most random places.

My mom asked me to get her a new PJ today since she is recovering from surgery and I headed to the Mall of Ga - a mall near my house that isn't my favorite mall but it has your basic stores. As I headed into Macy's, I couldn't stop myself from looking in the clothes section - Macy's carries a good selection of Rachel Roy, BCBGeneration, Kensie, and other trendy but affordable brands that are a unique and well-made.

I tried a BCBGeneration dress and fell in LOVE. I can totally see myself wearing it going out to dinner or going out or even wearing it during the day with some flat sandals. And it rang up to $25 dollars!!

also got this cute top (also on major sale)... not sure of the brand but I think it will look cute with white shorts and wedges or skinny jeans

Then, I headed to H&M (not the best one in ATL...) to see if they had any of the Garden Collection - they did but I didn't really see anything I was looking for and the shirt I did try on was HUGE! I want to check out the Atlantic Station H&M and see if they have more pieces.

I ended up with these three versatile items

striped loose t-shirt with shoulder detailing

woven top (free people-ish!) - very flattering!

black loose sweater - perfect for traveling (I lost my black sweater wrap)

Here is a better picture of my Kohl's cocktail ring... I still can't believe it's from there!

also picked up these goodies with my Bath & Body Works Coupon

Forever 21 is a great place to find "of the moment" pieces but you definitely have to have patience to find things that are worth purchasing because quality can be iffy. However, I have found some great things in the past that I continue to wear. I always go there when I feel like I am lacking in accessories. An accessory I love is the long necklace - I have so many - yet I always feel like I don't have enough! I picked these up at F21.

this one I bought at Banana Republic a few weeks ago during their friends and family event.

You don't have to spend a lot of money to look great! :)

Happy Holy Thursday and God Bless.

xoxo

Pamela