one.

SimplyChic is officially one!

I started this blog last year without a concrete concept of what it was going to be, other than a creative outlet to keep me occupied while my fiancé embarked on his one-year deployment overseas. In the end, it helped me land my current job (who would’ve thought blogging could do such a thing!) and ultimately evolved into a place to channel my passions, thoughts and ideas, while inspiring people in the process. Rey is back from the deployment now, yet here I am, still blogging away with no real desire to bring SimplyChic to a close like I had initially planned (it’s funny that way, how easy blogging can become so difficult to leave behind once you’ve started).

Long story short, thank you to all those out there who have been loyal readers for the past year and have taken something away from this blog. I hope you’ll stay with me as I continue this journey of sharing all things simply chic!

memorial day sales.

Happy Memorial weekend!If you’re not at the cabin, I highly suggest you stop by your local thrift stores to get in on the awesome sales being offered. Here’s a list of all the Twin Cities stores participating (click each store for locations and hours). Oh, and don’t forget to read my thrift tips before you go! :)

• Arc’s Value Village Thrift Store – 50% off all items; excludes orange and white tags
• Clothes Mentor – 25% off all summer apparel (shorts, capris, swimwear, sleeveless shirts, sandals, etc.)
• Goodwill – 50% off all apparel, books, shoes and furniture
• Goodwill Outlet – $1.25/lb of clothing (this is every Monday but thought I’d add it to the list as just an FYI!)
• Salvation Army – 50% off all clothing
• Savers – 50% off all items; excludes red tags
• Second Debut – 25% off all items excluding jewelry, art and handbags
• Unique and Valu Thrift Stores – 50% off storewide

I am sure you can expect a thrift haul post from me later this week. I’d love to know what treasures you find as well!

Happy shopping savings!

summer beauty.

While the seasons are changing, so are my beauty products! Check out some of my favorite all-natural picks for the summer months:

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1. SPF lip balm to leave lips moisturized and protected
2. Body polish to keep dry and dull skin at bay
3. Protective hair veil to prevent damage and color fading
4. SPF sun screen (this is a no brainer people!)
5. Bronzer for a golden glow sans sun
6. Waterproof mascara for all those outdoor and water-related activities
7. Cucumber face wipes for a refreshing way to remove makeup
8. Sea salt spray to get that tousled “fresh-out-the-beach” hair look

What are your must-have beauty products for summer?

garage sale season: tips & tricks for being a savvy shopper

It seems like every few blocks I drive by lately I see a sign that says something along the lines of, “HUGE SALE! This way —->” With that, I’d like to announce that garage sale season appears to be in full swing my friends. For all those frugalistas like myself out there, this is basically another way of saying it is Christmas time in summer. You can’t see it, but I am doing a little happy dance as we speak as you read.

It never fails to amaze me how those sale signs have the power to completely detour me from my initial destination; I set eyes on one and there’s no turning back – I’m a slave to the sign. I don’t consider myself the spontaneous type in the slightest, yet it’s funny that such a simple piece of cardboard with an arrow on it can suddenly make me impulsive. (And on that note, you can read more about a little adventure of hastily following a sale sign here.)

But enough about my fixation for following those sneaky signs, today I am sharing with you my five favorite tips on how to be a savvy garage sale shopper!

1. Look for city-wide. Throughout the summer, various cities put on a “city-wide” or “neighborhood” sale — ultimately a great way to hit several sales in one day. Local churches also often hold large community sales.
2. Map it out. If you plan on going to multiple sales, especially on city-wide sale days, check the listings in the newspaper and map out a route to save time and gas.
3. Carry cash. Make sure to have a variety of different bills and change for easy buying.
4. Be an early bird. To find the best items, you want to get to sales as close to when they open as possible.
5. Bargain. The great thing about garage sales is that you have the option to negotiate prices or bundle items. Most people are eager to get rid of the stuff they’re selling (espeically towards the end of their sale) and will more than likely agree to your barter more so than not, just so long it is reasonable of course.

Whether you’re a garage sale virgin or veteran, hopefully you found my suggestions useful. Happy saling!

what i wore wednesday.

Outfit details: Necklace – $9.80 @ Forever21; LOFT denim top – $2.50 @ Valu Thrift Store in St. Paul; Isaac Mizrahi skirt – $0.85 @ TurnStyle Consignment in Minneapolis; ELLE wedges – $28 (on clearance) @ Kohl’s.

wedding registry 101.

This past weekend my fiancé and I started our wedding registry. (I say “started” because I didn’t realize how time consuming it would be so I readily scheduled both Target and Crate & Barrel for a late Saturday afternoon… bad idea). With no time to spare, I claimed and owned that scanner like a champ, walking around the store at a pace of that similar to a jogger and beeping that dang thing until the battery died (no exaggeration here, folks).

Long story short, this is what I learned in the process: 
#1 - when it comes down to it, there really is no point in having the man come along (let’s just be honest)
#2 – giving a woman a registry scanner is like putting a kid in a candy store and telling them they can have whatever they want, which leads me to my next point… 
#3 – post-registry you’re left mentally exhausted and wanting to vomit from product overload.  

Aside from the boring kitchen appliances and cleaning supplies that you could probably care less about, here are a few scanned items that I couldn’t help but share:

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• 1 – You can never have enough throws (year-round) when you live in Minnesota, especially neutral-colored ones that will go with virtually any decor/furniture.
• 2 – Soy candles (and reed diffusers) are essential to a nice smelling home, naturally!
• 3 – Digital bamboo scale (hello sustainable resource!) This was one of those not-really-necessary but simply-can’t-pass-up kind of item.
• 4 – Ampersand pillow…. just plain cool. I gotta have it.
• 5 – Adding some plants (faux or real, but preferrably real) always adds a nice aesthetic appeal to a room.
• 6 – A pretty watering can… both decorative and purposeful, win-win!
• 7 – Woven cube – not only can it be used as a side table or ottoman, but it also serves as a storage option. Talk about multi-purpose mania!

calling all twin cities residents!

It’s the first weekend in May… do you know what that means? It’s time for one of my favorite events of the year! No, I am not talking Cinco de Mayo, people; I am referring to the Living Green Expo! With more than 300 exhibitors, demos, and workshops all dedicated to educating people about sustainable lifestyles, this is an event you don’t want to pass up!

What makes the Living Green Expo so fabulous? Well let me tell you! The expo is an awesome way to…
- Get loads of free coupons, product and food samples, plus an immense amount of information about embracing a greener lifestyle
- Discover new companies and local businesses that are implementing sustainable practices
- Find out how to get involved in your community to make the world a better (and greener) place

Some of the big names that you can expect to see: Peace Coffee, Chipotle, Xcel Energy, several Twin Cities co-ops, plus many more!

When: May 5, 9am – 6pm &  May 6, 10am – 4pm
Where: MN State Fair Grounds – Northeast corner (Education Building & 4-H Building)

In a nutshell, the Living Green Expo is a great outlet for learning about being green in a variety of ways – transportation, art, recreation, food, gardening, home remodeling, etc.!

Also good to know: the fee for the event is $3 online or $5 at the door. If you plan on buying items from vendors, make sure to bring cash (many do not accept credit card or check). Oh, and this is a very kid-friendly event!

I could go on and on abouthow awesome the Living Green Expo is but I’ll spare you a never-ending blog post and direct you to the website for any other questions you might have about this event: http://www.livinggreenexpo.mn

Hope to see you there!

zoology.

Outfit details: Xhiliration sunglasses – $5 @ Goodwill in Blaine; Scarf – borrowed; Forever21 zebra top – $15.80 @ Forever21; J.Crew bracelet – $10 (on sale, orig. $25) @ J.Crew; Cache jeans – $12 @ Elite Repeat Consignment in St. Paul; Xhiliration shoes – $4.98 (on 75% off clearance) @ Target.