chambray shorts outfit. lightweight sweater. flat booties.

outfit details:
chambray shorts
fine knit sweater - similar style - many colors
booties - similar - mine are Halogen Lidia from Nordstrom and sadly are sold out.
sunglasses

This is such a comfy way to dress for spring and summer. The pearl knit sweater is so light weight it works in hotter temps, but can also provide a little warmth on cool nights. I love how its airy, light, and moves with you. My chambray shorts are my absolute favorite shorts because they go with everything and are super comfy! They are from Target and are in the 5 inch inseam, but they also come in 3, 7, and 9 inch options. So, you are sure to find a length that works for you.

Linking my favorite shorts in all the different inseams and some other similar styles to my look. Thanks for stopping by. Audra

fab finds - walmart

Walmart is a great place to find accessories for less...a lot less, and clothing items!  The above graphic shows outfits with some of my favorite clothing and accessory items from Walmart over the last few months. The coral kimono (click here for outfit) might still be available in store or click here to find online. The grey sweater is something I wear again, and again and was only $8. The pom hat and scarf I wore all winter long! Walmart has really stepped up their game in the last few years, and here and there I manage to find pieces that really excite me! Plus, I feel like its a little reward for going grocery shopping which is one of my least favorite activities. I plan to share the things I pick up or just see that I think you might like at my local Walmart, so check back!....I go once a week at least, sigh.

bits and bobs for the week of April 17, 2016

spotted 

Two pack of gauzy infinity scarves perfect for spring and summer on sale for just THREE BUCKS or $1.50 per (These are normally $4.97 a two pack which is still pretty great)!! So many adorable prints to pick from!! I have picked a few of these sets up over the past couple years and they don't disappoint. 






The cutest selection of bandanas for just a buck! Tie these around your bag handle or use has neck scarf. These start off feeling a little stiff, but they wash up wonderfully and become very soft. Love!

picked up

• bandana/neck scarf - loved the print of this!
• Straw panama/fedora hat - (never sure what the proper term is) for $7.97, I think...it was less than $10 for sure! The quality is good, but I did check back over the course of a few weeks to purchase one that wasn't bent up.
• Turquoise earrings - I found these in a clearance bin for a buck!!

• Beach bag - This bag is fabulous quality, has a snap closer, and an outside pocket...all for under 10 bucks!
• Wet bags - I feel like you can never have enough pouches! I only have one wet items approved pouch and I'm a tiny bit embarrassed to say I paid $10 for it. I purchased it a few years ago to keep in my diaper bag. SO, I was pretty excited to see these for just $2.97!! 

Thanks for stopping by. Audra

cowboy boots outfit. boyfriend jeans. 3 simple ways

When the weather warms it makes me think of country concerts and local fairs! Fun times! At these events there seems to be an unspoken dress code that has developed among the ladies that consists of sun dresses and boots or shorts and boots...well, at least around the area I live! I'm all for dressing in whatever way that makes you feel good about yourself, HOWEVER, I've never been a fan of being the 15th girl in line for an ice cold bud in pretty much the exact same thing all 14 girls ahead of me have on! So, trying something a little different here by pairing my favorite cowboy boots with some boyfriend jeans. Now, these jeans I have sized down a couple sizes so they fit pretty slim or more like girlfriend jeans. The key being it is probably not going to be the best look with really baggy boyfriend jeans. I've paired my jeans with a white button down and a white tank. The sheer, white cotton shirt (to me) is just as cool as the tank, but reads a little classier. Plus, the sleeves could easily be rolled up. I love it when tied at the waist, and you don't have to mess with tucking it in. Please note there are pics both tucked and tied, and the tied is so much more flattering to the waist line! If your more of a tank top kind of girl in the summer, try one with some detail like lace. I've added a olive vest to give a little more interest, and all those pockets you might even be able to go without your bag if you were so inclined!




















Linking similar pieces for items that are no longer available.

Thanks for stopping by. Audra

pencil skirt casual: grey tee. jean jacket. pencil skirt. slip on sneakers.

I'm a jeans kinda girl the majority of the time, but sometimes I get bored with my jeans (rarely) momiform! So mixing it up with a pencil skirt and slip on sneakers. I love how even though it was a little bit windy (like a wind tunnel!) the pencil skit stayed in place and no Marilyn moments took place! My grey tee and jean jacket around the waist add to the casual vibe. My simple, black hat is from Walmart and is a essential in my wardrobe, and at less than three bucks it should be in yours as well! Slip on sneakers are my favorite for the summer. I prefer them over sandals most of time because they are super comfortable and you don't have to worry about polishing your toes.  They are from Amazon and only $21, Click here for shoes. Everything else in my outfit is old so linking similar items below, but you might have most of these pieces already in your closet! 
Thanks for stopping by. Audra

mommy and me outfits: denim and fringe

Matching or coordinating with my mini is so fun! A denim dress paired with cowboy boots is such a classic look that will be great for summer and will transition perfectly into fall! I usually try to save on clothing and splurge a tiny bit more on bags and shoes...well, in this case boots!! Happy shopping! Audra

mommy

& me

fashionistaview review - and other ramblings about growing a blog and instagram following

My fashionistaview experience:

I say experience and not review because I simply want to share what happened to me, my thought process, and let you decide for yourself...but for googling purposes I titled with"review".

O.K., so now that we have that out of the way...I'm just starting out in this very saturated area of fashion blogging, and with so many peeps doing the same thing its easy to get lost in the mix. Right?? We would all probably like to have more genuine followers no matter what our current count is. The question is how to accomplish this. I have spent many hours researching just that! There seems to be a general theme:

• hashtags 
• comment and like others
• follow and unfollow - I'm just not into this method at the current moment for a variety of reasons, but never say never I guess.
• loop giveaways
• hosting a singular giveaway 
• participating and/or hosting a style challenge
• blog link ups
• follow Friday
• have your worked featured on a larger account - for instance on Target's Instagram. If you are so lucky!
• Am I missing any??
• Oh, ya...produce good content. That can't hurt.

All of the above led me to fashionistaview. Well, they contacted me via email, Mary did to be exact. Mary said something like she LOVES my account and it has lots of potential...pretty sure they send the same email to everyone! At first I was excited, someone said I have potential!!...did I mention I am just starting out!?!...but, then that quickly turned to skepticism. Ya, know the whole "too good to be true" mom voice in my head. SO, I checked out fashionistaview's Instagram account. It looked to me to be somewhat legitimate. I contacted a couple ladies I saw who had pictures posted to their account. They both had a much larger following than me at around 10-11K...WOW, in my goals of goals to have that following! This gave me hope because they were out there doing their thing, and also utilizing this as a tool. Each lady was very sweet and told me, they're not sure how "real" it is, but what could it hurt. I also saw that Stuart Weitzman looked to be using fashionistaview to gain followers!!! 

Some time passed, and I sent Mary an email asking her a couple questions. No response. I sent it a few more times. No Response. I then received another email from Mary stating they were running a promotion or discount on all of the packages. After talking with my husband and thinking about the above mentioned information I decided "what the heck", and proceeded  with the six hour package.  I purchased my package and uploaded my picture around 8 pm that night and the following morning at 8 am my picture was shared on fashionistaview's Instagram. I gained a handful followers over the next six hours and a few likes. At almost 2 pm on the dot(six hours later), my Instagram following went from 151 to around 1,400.  Also, at almost the exact same time I magically received 100 likes spread over a few photos. 

March 6th to March 7th

 

I was a little dumbfounded by my instant increase in following. In my mind, I thought my increase would happen more organically over the course of the six hour exposure time. Fashionistaview's following at the the time was around 100K. It didn't seem unreasonable to me that a small percentage would truly want to follow me...sort of like a match making service. After reviewing my new found following I saw many, MANY accounts that to me appeared fake.

Like these which is just a small sampling...
     

     

The next five posts received around 60 instant likes.
    

Then the likes stopped and I went back to my normal, average amount of likes. I steadily lost followers of around 10-15 a day. 

Lost followers with accounts that often looked like these(again, just a small sampling)...
   

   

From March 7th to March 17th - minus 122 followers

 

Then I participated in a loop giveaway, and I was super excited to do so. Many accounts have grow greatly in part to loop giveaways. My follower count grew to 2,199 at the close of the giveaway or plus 911! Exciting, right!!?! By March 30th, ten days after announcing the loop winner 237 followers lost. 

Closing thoughts:
I apologize for not collecting this data in a more scientific way, but I think you can get the general idea. With the loop giveaway the accounts were/are real, live people in comparison to what my experience with fashionistaview was. I paid $26 to participate in the loop giveaway and with fashionistaview. I mention the loop giveaway because I participated so close to fashionistaview and thought it was important to include when looking at my gain/loss. Today, April 14th I am minus another 91 followers or around 10 a day. To be fair to both methods I have few follows/unfollows each day that aren't related.

Have you gained any real followers? This is difficult to answer, but my quick, off the cuff answer would be NO. BUMMER. And if I did, I can most likely count them on one hand! So my quest in this blogging and Instagram world continues.

If you have any questions about what I've shared I would love to hear from you! 
Also, if you have advice for a newbie like me I would appreciate that as well!!

Thanks for stopping by. Audra

retro/nautical casual outfit. flare jeans. cropped jacket. stripes. red and navy blue.

A little retro with belted, high waisted flares, and a little nautical with the blue pea coat and red accents. Cropped jackets and flare jeans are very on trend, and flattering on almost everyone. I am wearing a long sleeve tee here because it was cooler, but this would be fab with a tank when the weather warms. My jeans are available online, but my jacket and t-shirt were purchased on clearance at JCPenny. Linking similar items for my exact pieces that I couldn't find online. My bag is a DIY I did many years ago from thrifted mens ties.

Thanks for stopping by. Audra