Betty's Bargains: Part II-Target

Yesterday I shared my recent Old Navy purchases. Today, it's Target. I initially went to Target looking for... actually, I cannot remember why I went to Target, other than the fact that it was the closest store when I first walked in the mall. I also needed shampoo and face wash, but not necessarily from Target. But I digress. Here is what I left Target with:

Scoop Neck Embellished Tee-Navy Fleet

The original price on this tee is $14.99, but I actually picked up mine on the clearance rack for $7.49. It was the only one in the whole store (or so I imagine) and it was in my size.

I was in desperate need of a bathing suit, (all of mine are at least five years old and pre-children). I tried on several suits, including these:

These pieces are a part of the Mossimo Mix & Match Collection, in yellow. I also tried on different pieces in blue. Loved the top, but unfortunately, not so much the bottoms. The size selection was also limited since everything was currently on sale.

Xhilaration Swimsuit with Gold Broach in teal $14.99

I actually really loved the bottoms to this swimsuit, but really hated the top. The bottoms were surprisingly flattering and didn't cut into the, ahem, meatier portions of my body, like other suits are apt to do. The top, however, was the most unflattering thing I have ever tried on. Not to mention that the gold broach was too distracting and fairly ugly. But it looks pretty good on the model!

I ended up with this bikini:

Mossimo 2-Piece Bikini in blue/black stripe - $19.99 apiece

Would you believe that I scored this swimsuit on sale? Yeah, for a whole $1 off the original price! I paid $18.99 per piece. Score!

I also picked up two impulse purchases:

Coverup Dress in canary yellow - $17.99

Necklace Coverup Dress in black - $19.99

This black coverup dress was on the clearance rack for $9.98 and looks a lot better in person than on this model. (And I like to think better on me than on her as well).

I also tried on a few pairs of shoes, but thankfully, they did not have my size in any of them. (Budget!) Here are my top three faves that I tried on:

Wauna Braided Flat Sandals in Tan - $14.99

Paz Strappy Heeled Sandals in Natural - $24.99

Mandana T-Strap Pumps in Red Patent - $24.99

I fell in love with these t-strap pumps, but really wanted them in the black patent. Unfortunately, so did everyone else since they only had two pairs left, both in size 10! Guess it just wasn't meant to be.

So... How did I do?

I Want These Shoes

Any of them will do.

Shoes Wishlist: Target by Betty1940 featuring pumps

Women's Mossimo® Peep-Toe Cuffed Booties - Taupe : Target
$33 - target.com

Women's Mossimo® Purvi Caged Sandals - Cognac : Target
$30 - target.com

Women's Mossimo® Pavla Peep-Toe Booties - Mushroom : Target
$30 - target.com

Women's Mossimo® Patsy Heeled Sandals - Grey : Target
$15 - target.com

Women's Mossimo® Posie Rope Heeled Sandals - Cognac : Target
$27 - target.com

Women's Merona® Marylynn Suede Mary Jane Pumps - Gray : Target
$27 - target.com

Women's Mossimo® Prue Heeled Platform Sandals - Black Patent : Target
$30 - target.com

Betty's Bargains: Part I - Old Navy

As previously mentioned, I went shopping recently and was able to find several items that I liked. I went to Old Navy with the sole purpose of picking up a pair of pajama pants and a pair of shorts. I left Old Navy with a pair of pajama pants and two tops. I couldn't resist their "Buy Two Items, Get a Third Item FREE!" deal. and it applied to all items in the store! Really. Who could pass that up?

I picked up these pajama pants:

Crochet-Trim Roll-Up Lounge Pants -FREE!

I originally wanted a pair in yellow print (not available online), but noticed a slight problem with them when I tried them on; you could see through them. So the yellow ones went back on the rack and I picked up the black ones instead. In the store, these pants were on sale for a smaller price than the other two items I purchased, so these ended up being FREE! I wasn't too crazy about the pants' "Roll-Up" feature because they were kind of at an awkward length, but they are so comfortable!

My other purchases were actually the same item but in two different colors.

Ruffled Scoop-Neck Top - $17.94

I tried this one on in a pattern that is no longer available online, so I cannot show a picture of it. It is blue with a large flower print in chartreuse and light blue. Really pretty. I loved the way that it fit, obviously enough to pick it up in another color. And the fabric was very soft and light-weight; perfect for summer!

There were several other items that I saw that I liked, but being on a strict budget, I had to walk away from them. Most of the items from the store are no longer available online, or at least nowhere that I can find, but here are a few items that I could find online that I like:

Sleeveless Cowl-Neck Tee in Oceanic - $19.94

Cowl-Neck Jersey Top in Olive Oil - $22.94

Embellished Graphic Tee in Marshmallow - $17.94

Espadrille Wedge Sandal in Black Print - $19.99

Printed Hobo in Navy Floral - $12.94

*The print on this bag is actually pretty similar to the print on the ruffle top that I purchased, if it were only in the green and blue colors, that is.

Braided Jacquard-Print Tote in Natural Floral - $19.94

Anyone else take advantage of the "Third Item Free" sale this weekend at Old Navy?

The Return of Betty, with a Cry for Help

I'm back! Possibly. After finally finishing the planning for my sister's baby shower, I have some more time on my hands to pick up some of my old "hobbies" again. We'll see how long this lasts...

I am excited to tell you that I went on a much-needed shopping trip this past week! I am not fortunate enough to live in an area with many shopping opportunities. In fact, our shopping is quite limited; the nearest (decent) mall is about an hour away. But I was out visiting my mom this past week and able to make a quick trip to her nearest mall (about 45 minutes away!). I only visited a select number of stores (Target, Old Navy, and American Eagle, to be exact), because I am still unemployed and therefore still on a tight budget. This was a trip for some necessities.

On my shopping list:

1. Artist jeans from American Eagle (specifically these because I already have pair in a dark wash, love how they fit and wanted a second pair. Not to mention that I currently only own two or three pairs of jeans, one of which is nearly worn through).
2. Pajama pants (I split the back of mine one morning when sitting on the couch. Oops!)
3. Shorts (I only own ONE pair of shorts-really not a shorts type of girl)
4. Bathing suit (would it depress you too much to learn that the last bathing suit I purchased was nearly 5 years ago? Two children and 15 pounds ago? Yeah. It was about time for a new one).
5. Shampoo
6. Face wash

 I am happy to report that I found all of the items on my list, and then some! I'll share all of those purchases in separate posts later.

Before I do that, I need everyone's help! I also recently purchased a vintage shirt from Etsy. I made the mistake of falling in love with it through a photograph, and was slightly disappointed when I finally received it (refunds not accepted!). Unfortunately, being a vintage shirt, it also came with a vintage smell. And I can't get rid of it. Two washings later. Any tips?

I also had to have it altered to fit me the way I wanted it to, and luckily I received it just in time to take to my mom who was able to fix it for me, although not completely the way I wanted it to look. That was through no fault on her part, but rather due to the fact that the style of the shirt ended up looking different than how it did in the photo. And speaking of which, here is the shirt:

Cute, right?

I had contacted the seller prior to purchasing, and she did say that she was pretty sure that she had pinned the shirt to the model, so I was expecting it to look differently on. However, I wasn't entirely prepared for it to be the length that it was, but that was a mistake on my part for not paying attention to that part of the measurements. But anyway. Long story short, I'm having a difficult time trying to figure out how to style this shirt and would love for some ideas. (It would also be worth noting that the "white" parts of this shirt, in person, are more off-white, or rather "old white", as in a discolored looking white. The fabric is also fairly stiff).

I would love to be able to wear this shirt, seeing as I paid for it and all, but am lacking inspiration. Someone please help a girl out!

Sacrificing Fashion for a Lack of Fortune

I subscribe to a lot of fashion blogs, and a consistent trend that I'm noticing is Outfit of the Day (OOTD). First let me just say how cute everyone always looks in their photos! So envious. I would love to participate in this, but unfortunately, there would really be nothing to show. I do not have any cute clothes because I do not have the income or the budget to support a shopping hobby. (But one day I will!).

The clothing that I do have are random items that I have picked up here and there, usually on sale, usually pretty basic and boring. Nothing cute and frilly; nothing soft and feminine. To tell you the truth, I actually only own 3 or 4 jeans that I wear regularly, 3 dress pants for work (I currently work part-time, as in 1-2 days a week, and can get away with this), some skirts that do not fit me right now, a handful of tops for work and old worn out tops for bumming out at home. It's rather depressing.

However, I DO have a lot of shoes! I love shoes. And while I cannot afford to purchase most of my dream shoes, I do find a few cheaper favorites every now and then. Here are two of my current shoe staples for work:

 These black shoes are just about the most comfortable heels that I have ever worn, (and I am not one to sacrifice fashion for comfort; bring on the pain! As long as the shoe is versatile and cute, then the pain is worth it). They don't pinch or rub me the wrong way. No blisters here!

I don't know if you can tell by the poor image quality, but the grey ones are actually a felt-type fabric. They both cost me somewhere around $30 each, a price that I am content with for my budget. While I would love to be able to afford shoes from Mod Cloth, Anthropologie, or similar stores, I have to settle with what I can afford.

But one day, when I have my dream job, there will be a dream wardrobe to go along with it! Mark my words...