Natalie Wise Blog - Happiness is here.

Checks vs. Auto-Pay: FFF Week 1

It’s Frugal February Friday here on Good Girl Style and I’m discussing finances every Friday during February. I’d love your two cents (or a dime or a dollar!).

I’m so old-school sometimes, even when it comes to finances. I really prefer to use checks and like the control they allow me to have over my finances.

Besides, any opportunity I have to “pretty-ify” my life, I’m all about. My old checkbook cover, the standard-issue blue one from the bank, was in sorry shape and I was in the market for a new, pretty checkbook cover. A store in my town happened to be clearing out Vera Bradley, and they had one lonely (LOVELY!) checkbook cover left for 75% off. I couldn’t resist this amazing vintage-modern pattern (Cocoa Moss) and color scheme for $5.

Now I may want to upgrade my checks from standard-issue bank checks to something like:

Hello Cuteness?

Pretty Botanicals?

Are pretty checks more expensive? Nope. They are about the same, but with discounts offered all the time!
For new customers: 1-Box of checks: $5.50// 2-Boxes of checks: $11.00// 4-Boxes of checks: $16.50 and the 4th box is free ($1 more per box for duplicates)// Includes free shipping and handling Coupon Code: F4NB valid until 6/30/14

Using Checks

I think sitting down and paying my bills allows me more control over my finances and forces me to pay attention to where my money is going. Writing out a check helps me realize I’m investing my hard-earned dollars and gives me more awareness of my spending. You might be paying for a service you no longer need, but it’s “out of sight out of mind.” I prefer to sit down and see exactly where my money is going, to look at paper bills for discrepancies, see what services I’m actually paying for every month and have a record of it all (I love duplicate checks). And it’s just somehow so satisfying. We all know I’m a mail girl, even if it’s a stack of bills.

vs.

Auto-Pay

Auto-pay or online bill pay is certainly convenient, potentially more environmentally-friendly, and saves on postage. If you ARE going the e-pay route, I personally wouldn’t recommend the auto-pay option unless absolutely necessary and if you check up on it regularly. I have had issues with auto-pay when companies have double-charged me or over-charged me and I haven’t caught it immediately. They love to sneak new charges in there. Paying all of your bills online is fine if you prefer it and remember to keep up with it. I have done this in the past, and for me it’s just a matter of personal preference.

Are you a check-writer or an auto-payer?

Natalie

*This post contains affiliate links, which means if you purchase from my links I earn a small percentage for referring you, but you don’t pay anything extra for my two cents, promise!

Fondue Party

I’m throwing a fondue party for Valentine’s Day (romantic for two, or fun for a few!) over at Big Girls, Small Kitchen this week! Fondue is back in style and this year? We’re dipping bacon in the chocolate fondue because it’s 2014 and we can. Obviously.

Enjoy!

Natalie

#allthethings and giveaway winner!

It’s Wednesday, which calls for a #allthethings post…the little random tidbits of life that I’m enjoying lately.

{cheerful birthday present for a friend}

{the very last sea-salt-topped peanut butter cookie…amazing!}

{Indian scarf & hot pink vest & j.crew striped wool sweater}

More little things:

1.) New YurBud earbuds for my iPod

2.) A new bottle of Clinique Dramatically Different face lotion (on bonus right now!)

3.) A “kiss” ice pack (gift from my mom, comes in handy when I fall on the ice or burn myself on the heater…I may be slightly clumsy)

4.) Swedish Sea Salt soap…in LOVE with this detoxing, exfoliating soap. I’ve picked it up at a few different places, but this most recent bar is from Urban Outfitters.

5.) Little fox ring dish (birthday gift) with my Kate Spade heart ring

6.) Sugar Rose fresh tinted lip balm

7.) Raspberry Glace Clinique lipstick (part of the current bonus)

8.) The Sephora Grapefruit/Gold nail polish I wore on my birthday

AND lastly…and MOST IMPORTANTLY…

to announce the winner of the Monogram Necklace Giveaway from Onecklace:

Lyddie

Congrats!

Email me (goodgirlstyleblog at gmail dot com) and we’ll get you set up with your $50 credit! I can’t wait to see what you choose!

Thanks to everyone who entered, remember you can still create your own here:

(just click anywhere other than on the pin it heart when you hover on the image)

Have a great Wednesday, friends!

Natalie

Hello Sunshine

There’s no getting around it: it’s cold. But the sun has been shining, so it was the perfect time to bust out my Hello Sunshine Kate Spade hat. So cheerful! I adore it. It pulls out the yellow in my favorite winter handbag just perfectly.

{close-up of hat detail}

Had to include a dorky picture because that’s how I roll.

Also, yes, that is my fake-fur coffee sleeve on Starbucks (and there IS hot tea in that cup, which I’m about to spill in all of these photos!).

In my popular posts about how to wear skirts & tights in winter (Vol. 1 and Vol. 2…that’s also a solid look back at how my style has evolved!), I note that simply waiting for the sun to come out makes wearing a dress feel much more do-able. I love a sunny winter day! So good for the spirit.

Hat: Kate Spade, consignment shop//Sunnies: local shop//Pink necklace: Forever21//Dress: Forever21//Fleece-Lined Tights: Big Lots//Scarf: thrifted//Blazer: H&M//Gloves: Dollar Tree (!)//Coat: J.Crew//Purse: Missoni, consignment shop//Boots: Timberland, consignment shop

Natalie

Sale Shout: Ann Taylor One-Day ONLY

Hold up. Ya’ll this is a great sale! Ann Taylor is offering a one-day (January 25th) ONLY: 50% Off Entire Purchase with Promo Code STYLE50. Shop Now! I definitely stalked their website and they have some great stuff on clearance AND in new arrivals.

What a GREAT time to stop up on new work essentials. Here are my top 3 picks:

Ann Taylor Tipped Ponte Top//
Ann Taylor Variegated Stripe Pencil Skirt//
Ann Taylor Textured Crepe Button Back Top//

Enjoy!

Natalie

Birthday Dress

It was kinda-totally my birthday a few weeks ago!
#checkyes

We had lots of beautiful birthday snow, I made my trademark birthday coffee cake, wore a hot pink birthday crown, shared my birthday with a few other ladies from my church with the SAME birthday, had pink champagne and chocolate-hazelnut cake, received pink flowers, and all-around felt like the most-loved girl there is!

{birthday flowers!}

I love this swingy “Cream Puff” dress as I call it, with my “Cupcake Frosting” hair. Obviously I wanted to dress like desserts on my birthday! Ha!

{birthday manicure}

I also love the high-low of this outfit…the jacket and shoes are crazy-expensive, but the tights are from Big Lots, the sweater is from a tag sale, and the dress is from a consignment shop and doesn’t have a label.

It’s just like happiness, y’know? Find happiness in the small things and the big things. I was never a huge fan of my winter birthday so close to Christmas (someone was always sick, we weren’t in school yet so I missed the fun of a classroom birthday, I wanted an outdoor party, everyone was burnt out from Christmas and stretched thin and presents came in Christmas paper, etc. etc.). So I’ve created my own traditions. Little things.

{hazelnut-orange GF cake and pink champagne}

I choose a birthday song every year, pick up some pink champagne, and always bake a coffee cake on the morning of my birthday and put candles in it.

(those links will take you to past birthday posts of mine for more pretty fun!)

Here’s this year’s birthday song:

An outfit doesn’t have to be all high-end designers. And a birthday doesn’t have to be all bells and whistles.

Find joy in the little things, the unique things, and I think you’ll find extra joy you didn’t know was there.

And Happy Birthday to all you other near-Christmas/winter babies!
🙂

******

Dress: No label // Sweater: Vintage//Earrings: Charlotte Russe//Coat: Rebecca Taylor//Fleece-Lined Tights: Big Lots//Sunnies: Local store//Heels: Diane von Furstenburg

Natalie

Monogram Necklace Giveaway

Yesterday I shared my lovely Onecklace.com monogram necklace (check it out!), and I have exciting news! Onecklace wants to give one of my (fabulous, beautiful, sophisticated, lovely, brave, talented, and awesome) readers a $50 credit to pick out their own monogram jewelry! Well, isn’t this exciting ya’ll?

You could choose your name in gold or silver:

click on the photo to look at other samples on their website!

Or you could choose just an initial:

click on the photo to look at other samples on their website!

You could do engraved tags (love these!):

click on the photo to look at other samples on their website!

Or you could choose your full monogram like I have, with or without the circle around it:

click on the photo to look at other samples on their website!

ONE reader will win a $50 coupon code to be used at oNecklace.com!

To Enter:

Step 1: “Like” Onecklace.com on Facebook here.

Step 2: Leave me a comment here saying you liked them on Facebook and that’s your entry!

Additional entries for:

1.) Liking Good Girl Style on Facebook (leave me a separate comment that you did and don’t forget to hover over ‘Liked’ on Facebook and click, ‘Get notifications’ so we can stay in touch!)

2.) Following Good Girl Style on Twitter (leave me a separate comment that you did)

So that’s up to 3 entries per person.

One winner.

Giveaway entry closes on Monday, January 27th at midnight eastern time.

Good luck!

Natalie

Cheetah & A Monogram

Today I have a little cream box to share with you.

I think you’re gonna like what’s inside.

A beautiful monogram necklace from ONecklace.com 🙂

When they offered to let me review a custom monogram necklace, I had to try it. I mean, we see them on Pinterest all the time, right?

Now I know why they are so popular. I LOVE this necklace. I’m not generally a gold-jewelry girl, so I took the opportunity to try gold, rather than silver.

I’ve been wearing it every day! I love it with fall and winter colors: brown, wine, navy. And cheetah. Obviously.

(also obviously: these photos are from fall! ha!)

I also wore it with this fancy-fancy dress to a concert:

I really, really love this necklace and wear it almost daily. It isn’t the most high-quality jewelry in the world, but it’s a great gift or gift-to-self (Valentine’s Day?).

Join the fun!

Scarf: Charming Charlies//Sunnies: Local store//Necklace: Onecklace//Turtleneck: Target//Jeans: F21//Jacket: ON//Shoes: Aldo//Black Dress: TJ Maxx

Natalie

PS> Thanks for the necklace, Onecklace! 🙂

New Specs and a GlassesUSA Review

I need new glasses, ya’ll.

So these are my current/old glasses. Horn-rim Chaps, oval, get the job done.

But it is time for an update.

I really wasn’t sure how to go about this process, since it’s always so difficult to choose new glasses. But I decided to try one of these online glasses places, and be brave. When GlassesUSA contacted me to do a review of a pair of glasses, I jumped on board! I’d been eyeing (ha, I crack myself up) their site anyway, so it was a great fit.

I don’t just need glasses, you see (clever me, all the puns). I don’t need just frames, or readers. I need prescription glasses. Like, Coke-bottle glasses. Really-really-really thick glasses. Hazardous-to-my-health-AND-your-health blind without my glasses. Such is life. So I always have to get the primo lenses (read, expensive), so saving on the frames is a MUST for my budget. GlassesUSA eyeglasses are a great buy, and their clearance/sales/coupons section is also worth a look.

Here are my two picks (I purchased one pair with my own money and the other one partially with a GlassesUSA.com credit):

Muller in Brown

Personal Shopper in Blue

I made a video to show you the frames in person and tell you a little more about my experience:

GlassesUSA Review from Natalie of Good Girl Style on Vimeo.

I love the lucite and tortoise sides of the Nicole Miller Personal Shopper.

Muller has metal and crystal detailing.

GlassesUSA is always offering crazy-good discount codes, so check out their Facebook and Twitter pages for exclusive discounts. You can also use the code: Blog10 for a 10% discount. You can also try their new Virtual Try-On feature. This wasn’t available when I chose my frames, but I highly recommend giving it a try.

They have a 110% lowest-price guarantee and 100% money-back guarantee, so you’re safe no matter what you decide. Overall, if you need to buy glasses, I’d say GlassesUSA is a great place to update your look!

Soooooo now the question is, should I keep them? Just one? Which one? Both?
And which frames are YOU eyeing?

xo
Natalie
PS> We’re not talking about the craziness that is my bangs in these photos right now, ok? They’re not chopped weird, I promise, they were just being weird. #whoknows

Sale Shout: Eddie Bauer

Gah, Eddie Bauer has some great things on clearance right now up to 70% off! My friend and I said, “These are Old Navy prices with Eddie Bauer quality!” I’m loving it! Here are a few of my faves:

Slub Jersey Striped Scoop-Neck T-Shirt
Our bestselling slub-cotton T-shirt is now available in a striped version. The refined yarns’ alternating thick and thin segments give the shirt subtle, exceptionally soft texture and dimensional color. Neckline is finished with a raw edge.

Slightly Curvy StayShape Skinny Color Jeans
Shape. Stretch. Slimming. Our exclusive StayShape jeans are developed in partnership with Cone Denim, an American company founded in 1891. The soft, core-spun stretch yarns of cotton/polyester/spandex fit your body perfectly, always keep their shape, and never feel tight or overstretched. These are our lowest-rise jeans, sitting below the waist, and feature a slim leg. The fit is close, but comfortable. For a less fitted look, please order one size up.

Oslo Funnel-Neck Sweater
Cotton and nylon are blended with superfine wool to make yarns that are soft, warm, and very strong. Intricate geometric design is a modern spin on traditional Nordic patterns. Drop-shoulder construction, with slightly longer back, and side slits at the hem for easy movement.

Oslo Mittens
Soft acrylic yarns make our unlined mittens lightweight and warm. Rib-knit cuff construction ensures a snug, comfortable fit and lasting shape retention. Designed to coordinate with our Oslo Hat and Scarf.

So fun!
Enjoy,

Natalie