Ann Taylor Loft purse for $2.

A few of you might know some of the stores I love to shop for home decor such as:

Home Goods
Target
Ikea
World Market
Tuesday Morning
DownEast Furniture Outlet
West Elm
Crate & Barrel
Burlington Coat Factory



Here is where I love to shop for most of my clothes and girl stuff.

Ann Taylor Loft
Ann Taylor
Nordstroms
Nordstroms Rack
H&M
DownEast
J Crew
Banana Republic
Old Navy
Burlington Coat Factory
Target
Victoria's Secret
Bath and Body Works



Between the lines...

I LOVE TO SPEND!!

Yesterday I bought a nice blouse from BR at $25.

  This is online for $70??  Check it out HERE

I got the yellow one in medium.  I think the sizes run smaller

Then I went to Victoria's Secret

Whoever says this is a girl's store is lying. 

We ALL know that this store is for men!  

I got a free sample of perfume just for trying on a bra a couple months back.  

I loved the scent sooo much but I ran out.  I went to Vickies and this awesome sales associate asked if she could help me look for anything and I said: 

Yes!  I got this free sample of perfume, I loved the scent, I have to get it, I don't remember the name but it was in a dark pink bottle so help!

She said she'd ask someone to see what it was and she found out!  

It was "Very Sexy: Touch"  I ended up buying the gift set for $65.  

I've never bought a gift set before and never planned on it but I did.  

I think the awesome customer service from this associate did it.  

Shout out to her!

If you need a life change and promises of hopes and dreams, get a new scent of perfume

Last but not least, I bought this awesome pouch/purse at Ann Taylor Loft for

2 DOLLARS

These usually run 25-30 bucks retail! 

I don't have a good picture but I'm posting a link of one that's similar to this link HERE

That's pretty much it for now..

50 ways to cut Wedding costs

Some money saving tips for your LDS wedding at "LDS Weddings.com"  You can find it HERE
They had 50 money-saving tips.

There are some helpful tips, but I decided to add my 2 cents to the list given at LDS Weddings.com.

Brace yourselves....

1. Choose flowers that are in season and/or grown locally.  Yes this does save costs
2. Forgo the personalized napkins.  Why is this even a tip??  That is so '90s
3. Schedule the wedding between November 1 and April 30 (excluding December). By scheduling at an "off-peak" time, you're likely to get better deals.  This is true if you want a specific venue.  HOWEVER...once you have kids...you're going to celebrate all your anniversaries during during the school year.  So a summer wedding has its benefits :)
4. Order invitations online or through a mail-order catalog.  This may save costs but it's good to have an idea how many invitations you'll actually need first.  Then shop and compare.  Buy your invitation supplies in bulk from Xpedex, and find a printer to print all of them out.  
5. Pick a reception location that needs little or no decorations -- a garden in bloom, a fully decorated reception center.  This saves costs, just take time to look.  
6. Avoid roses and orchids; they're widely available but expensive.  Orchids are expensive, silk orchids look very real, I had silk ones for my hair and everyone, including the people that did my hair asked if they were REAL.  If you are arranging your own flowers, roses last a lot longer and more hardy.  Also most forgiving when arranging them.  
7. Start shopping right away, especially for a gown. You won't feel rushed into buying something and will be able to look for a good deal.  You won't feel rushed AND pressured in shopping for a gown if you plan to buy it yourself and don't bring an army of women with you to the appointment.  Good deals on gowns are always after the wedding season ends.  
8. Avoid white flowers. They bruise easily, so florists must go through larger quantities to find good ones. This increases the cost.  This is true.  But white flowers are sooo pretty!!!
9. Choose cheaper entrees, like chicken instead of beef, or pasta instead of seafood.  If you are at a venue, yes this will save costs.  If you are DIYing a pasta buffet, the water will take FO EH VAH to boil, especially in higher altitude Utah.  Plan accordingly. 
10. A good wedding cake is often enough dessert. You don't need an entire dessert spread too.  I'd say have one tier real cake, the rest styrofoam. You can bake your own cake if you pick an easy recipe and not care about ornate details.  Desserts buffets are awesome and accepted in Utah. 
11. Skip the wedding favors or opt for a cheaper variety. Yes.  Just don't go overboard and pick a favor that's edible and or one that doesn't risk becoming a chuchería/nick-nack collecting dust on your dresser.  
12. DJ's will generally cost less than a live band.  An iPod list is guaranteed to be cheaper than a DJ
13. Avoid Saturday night. You'll have more location (and price) options if you celebrate on Thursday or Friday.  In Utah, Thursday-Saturday evenings cost about the same for venues.  The cheapest is on a Tuesday for LDS weddings and Sunday for traditional weddings
14. Use less-expensive flowers, like daisies, in the bouquets.  Regular daises, maybe, but they are not common wedding flower arrangements.  GERBER daises, on the other hand are expensive!    
15. Ask about package deals if you order all your stationary (invitations, thank you's, etc.) at once. This probably won't hurt but you need to look close to see if that's what you need.
16. If you decide to have a videographer tape your special day, say no to "extras" such as sound effects and artsy editing.  Yes.  Also see if you can have the "raw" footage only, and you do the editing yourself if you know how to video edit
17. Find out how long the photographer will keep your negatives. You may be able to purchase your prints after the other wedding bills are paid.  Majority of Utah photographers will give you the negatives to stay competitive.  Some will ask you to pay additional in order to get your negatives/disc.  You need to ask before booking them, and ask how many proofs you should expect to receive for the hours of coverage they'll do, and how big can you blow up the proofs.  
18. Use the talents of family and friends. Their skills could save you money in many different areas.  So true!!  I lucked out on flowers and cake and decor thanks to the girls on my husband's side...I married well :)
19. Cut your guest list. There is no easier way to cut costs. You'll save money on food, invitations, favors, linens and much more.  This is lame. Don't do this.  Count people first using your best "guestimation", who really want to attend, then figure out the best way to feed all these people, whether it's punch and cake only or 5 food stations complete with roasted pig.  
20. Get organized. Timely planning saves late fees and expensive compromises.  This is true.  Also read carefully on non refundable deposits.  You might change your mind on a vendor, waste $500 bucks and go drop another $500 for another vendor.  
21. Simpler dresses are less expensive than the embellished gowns.  This is true.  They are also less costly to alter and to clean. 
22. Don't spend much on new shoes. If you are wearing a long gown, no one will see them anyway. If you love shoes, pick shoes that you'll wear again after the wedding.  But be comfy too, you'll be on your feet all day!
23. The groom and groomsmen don't need new tuxes. Renting is much cheaper.  True.  But you don't need to wear a tux, unless you really want too.  Buy a new business suit for the groom and the rest of the party coordinate with him.     
24. Instead of a seated dinner, consider a buffet.  Sometimes true depending on the number of guests and how much food you order.  
25. Forgo an expensive cake topper. Crown the cake with fresh flowers or let the icing speak for itself.  You can always borrow a cake topper or DIY.  Flowers and icing are good alternatives.  
26. Instead of holding your reception in a grand ballroom, try a creative, less-expensive site, like a park, a community center, a backyard, an art gallery, a theater.  True but pick the site with the best kitchen space above anything else.  If at a historic location, the fee may be considered a charitable donation, so you may write it off and get a tax deduction
27. Borrow items like punch bowls, linens and tables instead of renting.  This is a huge cost saver.  Borrow as much as you can.  
28. If you do rent items, be sure everything is returned on time to avoid late charges.  True.  You can also buy your dinnerware for less than what you would pay to rent, and immediately sell it online.
29. Instead of a large bouquet, consider one or two large blooms, like tulips or sunflowers.  True
30. Use flowering potted plants for centerpieces instead of floral arrangements.  True
31. Be sure your fully assembled invitations are light enough to only require one postage stamp.  True
32. Rent or borrow your gown.  Borrowing is cheaper, renting, not so much, depending on your budget.  
33. Order your bridesmaid dresses from a catalog. Be sure to order early though.  An inexpensive but ghetto way is to buy your bridesmaid dresses from Nordstroms, hide the tags, save the receipt and then return them.  Just throwing that out there
34. Get a small decorated cake to cut during the reception, and have sheet cakes to serve to your guests.  True
35. Hire students from a local university to sing or play at your reception.  True.  They are talented and starving artists
36. Instead of buying individual place cards, post the seating assignments on a decorated posterboard.  True but unnecessary if you aren't doing a seated dinner.
37. Candles are cheaper than flowers.  True but you can't light them at some venues
38. Know a graphic designer? Have him or her help design your invitations.  True
39. Buy your gown from a bride who canceled her wedding. Check online, newspapers, and local college bulletin boards.  True
40. Borrow accessories from a friend.  True.  
41. Look for mothers' dresses after major holidays. Visit the clearance racks.  True.  
42. Beware of the Valentine's Day wedding, when rose prices are outrageous. Very true.  Also don't forget Mother's Day.  
43. Use silk flowers. They're cheaper and last longer.  True
44. Forgo the tissue insert in your invitations. It's just for show.  You will only use tissue if your invitations are engraved, which are impressive but EXPENSIVE.  The last tissue insert I've seen was from a wedding invitation from 1996
45. Consider a single flower in a bud vase as a simple centerpiece.  That works
46. Use your computer to design your invitations. That works too. Don't forget to use a paper cutter, not scissors when assembling your invites. 
47. Compare photographers' hourly fees and package deals to see which is more cost-effective for you.  You really don't need more than 4 hours if you are doing temple and reception coverage.  I LOVED my dress  but being in a big dress was exhausting.  I was done after 40 minutes of pictures!
48. Include your reception information on the invitation to avoid printing a separate reception/enclosure card.  That works too.  
49. If you purchased your dress, consider selling it to make up for other areas in your budget.  Yes, you need to do this asap after the wedding.  
50. Use the resources and advice found at LDSWeddings.com.  Don't forget my advice at Dave is Home 

Wrong number

Hi all.

Firstly, would like to thank all pinners that clicked the source link for Rain Cloud Baby Shower :-)
I know my blog isn't the coolest and I'm not the best writer but it did make me happy that you liked it enough to re-pin to your Pinterest board.

My nephew is a cute chubby 10 lb porker at 2 months.
I get excited every time I think about babies!  Hmmmm.....


Valentine's Day was good.  And funny...and also first day at new job for Dave!

What made yesterday funny?

At work, TONS of female employees received balloons, flower arrangements and other romantic work-appropriate gifts.
Employees have to go to the first floor to pick up their gifts at the security front desk; security will give a call to the recipient to come downstairs.

So....while working, I get a phone call, from the Security Front Desk. I saw it on the Caller ID and thought to myself:

"Somebody delivered a Valentine surprise for ME.   I wonder from whom...?"

^_^  <3

I answered the phone.

Me: "Finance: This is Alina"

Security: "Hello Alin...oh wait.  I called the wrong extension"

*click*

DARN!

>_<

Lame security lol!  I couldn't help but laugh at myself.

Dave did surprise me by bringing me pink roses when he arrived home.  I immediately hung them upside down in the closet to dry.  Also a beautiful card.

I told him about what happened and he laughed along with me.

Dave does loving things every day for me.  So good and caring.  I enjoyed being with my sweetheart.  

Everyday with him is Valentines Day.

The candies, stuffed gorillas, and flowers will come and go.  But love is here to stay.