Happy 19th Chloe!

Sometimes it's hard to believe Chloe has been with us for 18 years. We weren't her first family, but her forever family. I don't believe I've ever shared the story of how we got Chloe. It was not planned, no one, including my mother knew she was coming, as she was a surprise from my grandma!

My grandma had a friend who was looking to re-home Chloe, so she decided she would give my mom the one Christmas wish she'd always wanted and never received as a child - a puppy.

We don't know too much about Chloe's past, the only papers we have came from the shelter she'd been surrendered to dated December 1st, 2000, stating that she was a one year old Bichon named Munchkin (yes, I completely spearheaded the name change).

We had no idea what we were getting into the afternoon Chloe showed up and became a part of our lives; but I can honestly say that it is hard to imagine what our home would be like without her. And as for the tree farm photos - we'd just gotten home with our tree that Saturday in 2000, and so the following year we chose to celebrate Chloe on the same day we got our tree, and have done so ever since, our little Christmas Tree Dog.

       

The Rundown
Plaid Shirt J.Crew similar
Plush Fleece Excursion Vest J.Crew similar 
Jeans Joe's via saks off fifth similar
Brown Boots "Mullin Spice" Clarks via eBay
Gold Ball Earrings Kohl's
 Antler Ring House of Harlow similar
Nail Color "Twill Seeker" Essie
Dog Chloe similar

 

Pop of Red

On Saturday it was in the mid 40°s and sunny, so I decided I could get away with not wearing a coat. I also decided I could get away with ballet flats. I can't say it was 100% the correct choice, but lately we've been having two types of weather - either overcast, wet, and warm, or bright and sunny but below freezing. So I saw a chance to wear my Ferragamo flats without the threat of rain and I took it.

I sort of feel like the red bow Ferragamo flats are my 'holiday' shoes. No guarantees I'll end up wearing them on Christmas itself, but they do feel terribly festive. I don't have a great deal of red in my closet as of late. Most of my bright red pieces were donated in recent years and with the small exception of searching for something festive to throw on this time of year, I haven't missed them. Though it turns out, a great red accessory offering just a pop of color is enough.

As you know I love shopping second-hand, it’s my favorite way to get designer names into my closet for less. I could have never paid retail price for these shoes, but thanks to online shops like Micolet, thousands of beautiful previously loved pieces from my favorite brands are only a click away from my closet and the low prices let me shop guilt free.

        

The Rundown

Striped Turtleneck Ralph Lauren via TJMaxx similar
Plush Fleece Excursion Vest J.Crew similar
White Jeans Gap
Red Bow Pumps Ferragamo via eBay
Red Willis Bag Vintage Coach via eBay similar
Gold Ball Earrings Kohl's
Thin Gold Ring Etsy via Ellyn Blue Jewelry
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx
  Nail Color "Bubbles Only" Essie

Linking up with  Style on the Daily

Snow Days

I know that living a balanced life includes taking time to do nothing at all.

Another snowy weekend, which did of course, go by far too quickly - though at least I managed to paint my nails!

Today I have a couple more items from Swap.com, since my first outfit came in under budget I had a little extra credit to spend, so I picked this faux fur vest and white sweater. Perfect for a cozy, snowy Sunday.

        

The Rundown

White Sweater Loft c/o Swap.com similar

Black Jeans Old Navy similar

Black Fur Vest INC c/o Swap.com similar

Booties "Calixta" Cole Haan

Red Willis Bag Vintage Coach via eBay similar

Fur Pom Knit Hat Amazon similar

Stacked Rings Gorjana via TJMaxx similar

Hammered Gold Ring Thrifted similar
Nail Color "Fishnet Stockings" Essie

Linking up with Pink Sole's How I Fall

and

Oh To Be A Muse's Lookbook Linkup
and
By Lauren M's Mix it Monday

New Year's Looks with Swap.com

Every year when the holiday season rolls around I find myself rationalizing the desire to add another pretty dress to my closet. I know special occasion dresses have pretty much the lowest cost-per-wear out of anything else I own, yet what is New Year's Eve without a festive dress?

As I'm a big fan of shopping secondhand, I was really excited when Swap.com, an online consignment store, invited me to shop for some fabulous holiday looks, and the discounts off retail are so good I will never feel guilty about another special occasion dress again. The invetory at Swap.com is simply massive, and even with making sure to use filters for my size and colors I was interested in, I still spent hours browsing the site and adding things to my cart.

I finally decided on putting together a couple of New Year's looks - first up is New Year's Eve. I completely fell for the fun and on trend bell sleeves of this lace overlay dress. There is a similar one up on the site and it's only $17, new with tags. I added in my gold sequined clutch for the obligatory NYE sparkle and I'm ready for my champagne toast.

For my New Year's Day look I wanted something a bit more cozy, so when I found this Target sweater dress for $8, I immediately added it to my cart. I had actually been eyeing a similar dress that was retailing for over $100, so my eyes lit up when I saw this! I thought the fur vest would add just the right amount of holiday glamour while still keeping me warm and comfortable.

I was impressed at how expansive Swap.com's inventory was, and their search feature is pretty effective too. I do wish they would include a couple measurements for pieces, because if I wasn't familiar with a brand it's hard to know how the sizing runs, but they do allow for returns just in case a piece doesn't work out.

I'm really excited to do a little closet clean out and send a box into Swap.com as well - they offer a higher commission than my local thrift store!

Check out Swap.com and get 20% off your first order and free shipping!

       

The Rundown
Black Lace Dress c/o Swap
Studded Pumps c/o OASAP similar
Gold Sequined Clutch Halston similar
Tassel Earrings Banana Republic
Hammered Pendant Necklace Avon similar

Gold Herkimer Diamond Ring c/o Lumo

Chevron Ring Etsy via Silver Canyon Jewelry

Nail Color "No Place Like Chrome" Essie

       

The Rundown
Sweater Dress Target c/o Swap
Fur Vest c/o Choies similar
Boots "Jabine" Adrienne Vittadini
Metallic Scalloped Clutch Matine
Tanner Toggle Lariat Necklace Gorjana similar
Stacked Rings Gorjana via TJMaxx similar
Ruby Crystal Talisman Ring c/o Uncommon Goods
Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx
Nail Color "No Place Like Chrome" Essie

Linking up with Mix and Match Fashion's What I Wore to Work

and

Elegance & Mommyhood's Thursday Moda

Swap.com provided me with a credit to shop their site in exchange for this post. Thanks for supporting the brands who support Chic on the Cheap!

Extra layer

A fur vest under a coat is somewhat of a bulky layer, and truthfully it was not my intent to feature the coat as part of the outfit, however as a testament to how much the weather changed over the last week, I was feeling much too cold to bear taking it off.

I'm happy to see the days getting noticeably longer and the possibility of photos after work just before the light fades is a reality again. I love how you can see the sun's glow reflecting off the windows of the building in the distance in the third photo. It came out just for a moment before the passing clouds overtook it yet again.

The Rundown
Black Sweater Gap similar
Fur Vest American Eagle via TJMaxx similar
Red Peacoat Nine West similar
Black Jeans Old Navy
Boots Migliorini via TJMaxx buy on ebay similar
Fringe Bucket Bag TJMaxx similar
Cashmere Beanie Portolano via TJMaxx
Necklace "Greer V" Gorjana
Snake Ring Brilliant Imports

Sunglasses "Meteor" Ray-Ban c/o TJMaxx

Linking up with Mix and Match Fashion's What I Wore to Work

and

Happiness At Midlife's Throwback Thursday (last time I wore this hat)