Sheaffer Told Me To

Happy Monday, everybody! I hope you all had a fun and relaxing weekend with family and friends. I wasn’t ready for the weekend to end, but I’m ready to start a new week and start checking things off my new TO DO list! First up, go to the grocery store because we have nothing to eat. While there, I’m going to make sure to buy several cartons of my new favorite chocolate peanut butter ice cream. No judgement, it’s going to be my reward at the end of the day for checking things off my list. 😉

Last month JCPenney reached out to see if I wanted to partner with them to talk about some current trends. Since I don’t typically shop there, I took a poll on Instagram (on my instastories) to see if you guys were interested in me doing a JCPenney post. Over 3,000 votes were cast (52% YES, 48 % NO), but several of the people that voted “yes” were passionate about their “yes”. I got lots of direct messages saying things like “you might have to sift, but you will find some great things!” and “make sure you check out the shoes, they are great and so affordable!“.

After receiving several “YES, PLEASE!” messages, I excitedly agreed to the post!

I headed my nearest JCPenney store (at The Shops in Fairview) and spent about 3 full hours there milling around and trying TONS of things on. And I do mean TONS. Since I wasn’t familiar with the layout of the store or the sizing of the brands, it took me a bit, but I found some really great items! I walked away with two DARLING outfits from the earrings all the way down to the shoes. The outfits in this post are head to toe from JCPenney! I was very impressed with how affordable all the pieces were and the variety of trends they had to choose from.

For my first look, I was thrilled when I found this adorable smocked and embroidered top and this awesome pair of white cut off denim shorts! A great pair of white denim shorts are like a flippin’ unicorn, BUT I FOUND A GREAT PAIR! And I just about died when I saw they were just under $20! WHAT A DEAL!

And what about this precious top. It’s light weight, I loved the colors, and I thought the smocking and embroidery were just adorable. Embroidery is definitely a popular trend right now, but I’ve loved embroidery for years, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon (or ever really).

And do you see the shoes? They are Birkenstock dupes. I’ve never owned a pair of Birkenstocks, because every single time I’ve ever tried them on, I feel like they look ridiculously huge on my feet. Well, these dupes are more narrow, and I actually liked the way they looked (and I definitely liked the way they felt). And the price can’t be beat.

smocked and embroidered top / earrings / straw tote / white denim shorts / sandals

LOOK HOW CUTE THE TOP IS! I absolutely adore the colors, the fit, and the detail. The earrings are fun, colorful, and totally light weight…AND THE SHORTS. Y’all, THE SHORTS ARE JUST WHAT I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR. They say the inseam is 3 1/2″, but they fit more like a 4″ inseam for me. They are stretchy, comfy, and NOT SEE THRU! And I feel like the fit is incredibly flattering.

I’m wearing a small in the top (true to size) and a 4 in the shorts (true to size). Since the sandals don’t come in 1/2 sizes, I sized up a 1/2 and they are perfect.

smocked and embroidered top / earrings / straw tote / white denim shorts / sandals

Get The Look For Yourself Here:

Here are some other great embroidered tops I found while surfing around online:

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For my second outfit, I went simple on top with a classic black tee (with a little ruffle detail on the arm) and opted for some fun patterned shorts on the bottom! And check out these precious slide sandals. I picked up the black for myself, but they also come in a hot pink and a black and white polka dot option. Slide sandals are a huge trend right now, and these are awesome and UNDER $20! I might have also picked up these ruffle slide sandals (in taupe) for myself. #allegedly #okayidid #theywereonlyfourteendollarswheniboughtthem #sobasicallyfree

ruffle sleeve tee / patterned shorts / straw tote / slide sandals / earrings sold out 🙁

I’m wearing a small in the tee, but I would have gone with an x-small had they had it in store. The shoulder seams were a little big on me, so I think most people will want to size down. These exact shorts come in lots of solid colors and a handful of patterns. I’m wearing a 4 in the shorts, so they are true to size for me. And if you like patterned shorts, I’m guessing you will love this buffalo check pair too.

And look, this 2nd outfit is very different from the 1st outfit, BUT THE TOTE LOOKS GREAT WITH BOTH LOOKS!

ruffle sleeve tee / patterned shorts / straw tote / slide sandals / earrings sold out 🙁

Get The Look For Yourself Here:

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One last outfit for you today. Here I’m wearing the same shorts and sandals from my first outfit, but I changed out my smocked and embroidered top for this mixed media top! It looks like my exact color combo is sold out, but there are several remaining to choose from. I would suggest sizing up a size in this top. I’m wearing (and definitely needed) a medium. The small pulled across the chest.

shirt / earrings / white denim shorts / sandals

Get The Look For Yourself Here:

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So like I said previously, after spending some time in JCPenney, I was very encouraged by some of the items that I found. What about you? Don’t you agree that the above outfits are outfits that you could see yourself in?!?! And there’s no denying that the prices are super affordable!

I was most impressed with the shoe options that I found. Now, I will say this, although all of the shoes I got were DARLING and COMFY (and very inexpensive), I obviously can’t comment on long term durability yet. I’ve only had them for about a week, so I can’t yet share experience on how they hold up. In the past, I’ve found that with shoes you often get what you pay for. But I’m hopeful that these will stand the test of time because they sure are cute!

AND GIRLS! I’M UPDATING THIS POST MONDAY MORNING WITH A SALE THEY LAUNCHED THIS MORNING! With the code SAVE60 you can get 55% OFF $100 or more on select regularly priced items (with some exclusions including Liz Claiborne, housewares, luggage, furniture and mattresses) and 40% OFF $40 or more (with some exclusions). This is a great way to stock up on affordable summer clothes!

Thank you to JCPenney for sponsoring this post, and thank you to the readers that encouraged me to give the retailer a shot! I’m very happy with the outfits I put together above. Lots of great affordable summer clothes. And I know I’m going to wear the heck out of the white denim shorts!

P.S. More ways to style shorts and cute summer outfit ideas.

It’s Friday, so y’all know what that means! It’s time to link up with Erika, Andrea, and Narci to let everybody know what some of my favorite things are right now!

Let’s kick Friday Favorites off today with an awesome food find. I’m still eating super healthy over here, but at night I’m reallllllllllllllly enjoying this low calorie and high protein ice cream from Skinny Cow. If you follow me on instastories, you already saw me raving about it. GIRLS. It’s delicious. (For the record, I don’t like Halo Top, so if you don’t either you still need to try this.)

Now, listen to me. You HAVE to let it sit out on your counter for a good 5-10 minutes or so before you eat it. It doesn’t contain the artificial softeners in it that most ice cream does, so you really have to let it naturally soften up. BUT OMG. Once softened, this stuff is DELICIOUS.

And in the interest of keeping it real, this container says it’s 3.5 servings……but it’s only 2 servings for me. Yep, I eat 1/2 in one sitting, and I’m not even ashamed. 1/2 the container is 190 calories and 12 grams of protein. So it’s basically like I’m eating a couple of eggs. Or something like that. 😉

(There’s an update I need to give here. After writing this post, I ate an entire container one night. OOPS. Next time I’ll be sure to put my serving in a small bowl. #lessonlearned)

And you can click HERE for my ruffle sandals. True to size.

And look at my sweet puppy. My sweet 70 pound puppy.

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Speaking of sandals and dogs…

These have been my GO TO pair so far on warm weather days. I’ve worn them with shorts, jeans, skirts, and dresses. I really like how the strap keeps them snug on my feet and there’s no flip flop sound when I walk. Also of importance, the leather strap has some stretch to it, so I don’t have to buckle them each time I put them on! I just stretch them behind my heel. I suggest sizing up a 1/2 size.

They come in black, rose gold, and a snakeskin print…..and y’all are big fans as well!

In fact, I’ve been getting a lot of e-mails about sandals recently. One of my absolute favorite things is hearing about when y’all love something as much as I do, and so many of you now have and love my orange slides (although some of you got them in brown or black). These are true to size for me. Click HERE for the slides. I’m kind of dying over the new rose gold and silver options. SO CUTE.

And just because I thought some of y’all might need these in your life, look at these! If I didn’t already have the orange slides above, these mustard beauties would have come home with me. They also come in several colors and are true to size.

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My Stonebriar Nordstrom got a makeover this year (YAY!!!), and they added a Bazille. AND BAZILLE IS A FAVORITE FOR SURE. If you’ve never eaten at a Nordstrom restaurant, you are missing out in a big way. I’ve been eating at the Northpark location for year, so I was thrilled when I heard they were getting one in my neck of the woods.

WELL. They debuted a dish at the Stonebriar location, and it was such a hit that they now serve it at Northpark as well. I would like to introduce you to Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts. Here’s what the menu has to say about them: 330 calories (not very high and 1000% WORTH IT) with the following ingredients: chicken sausage, sweet soy, chile de arbol, and peanuts. I have no idea why it’s so freaking good….BUT IT IS SO FREAKING GOOD.

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How cute is this. Chris hooked up his phone to our t.v. one night to watch a video that Carter had made. We started going through the pics on his phone, and Charlie was super interested when his big brother was on the screen.

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This was definitely not a favorite moment of the week, but it still needs to be documented. Last Friday night we had crazy hail in our area and a tornado warning. Chris was out of town, and Carter had friends over after school. We dropped the boys off at their houses at about 5:15, and then we were going to run through 2 different drive thrus for dinner because mama hadn’t eaten Taco Bueno since December AND IT WAS TIME.

But y’all. When we were in the Taco Bueno drive thru, it started hailing. I was panicked. It was just a little hail at first, but I was afraid it would get bigger. I saw that the Lowe’s right behind Bueno had an overhang, and I rushed over there and whipped in at the last possible second. It started hailing pretty dang hard, and it got bigger. And then the guy from Lowe’s came out and told all of us that were huddling under the overhang that there was a tornado warning and we needed to all take cover inside. HUH? WHAT? I turned around and told Carter, and that’s when he said “But I’m not wearing any shoes!” #awesome

Remember, we were just delivering boys home and going through drive thrus, so shoes weren’t required in his mind. 😉 My little hillbilly hopped out of the car and we traipsed through Lowe’s to their break room to huddle in with all of the employees and customers. There wasn’t a tornado, and the hail didn’t leave any major damage where we lived, so now it’s just a funny memory.

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Did y’all catch my post on Monday? It’s one of my favorite posts I’ve done in awhile because I’m so happy to have found Soma, a new retailer that I love! And here’s what I learned, sooooooooo many of y’all already loved Soma.

I got lots of comments and questions from readers, but the question that came up several times was if the bra straps stayed put. I couldn’t believe I had failed to mention this in the post! I am speaking specifically about the front closure bra (from the vanishing back line), and I can say with 100% certainty that the straps do not slip at all! I had several readers asking this question, but I also had several readers leaving comments saying that the no slip straps were one of the features they loved most about the bra!

And don’t forget their current promotion: Today (04/13) is the last day that Soma will be offering a Free Vanishing Edge Panty with the purchase of a Vanishing Back Bra (one per transaction)! This is a $16-$19 value! Click HERE to shop all of their Vanishing Back Bras that qualify for a free panty! Use code 36279.’

Click HERE for the entire post where I highlight and review the below bra as well as the undies that I’m now obsessed with and their wonderful pajamas! I also wanted to share a reader tip. She said that she washes AND DRIES the bras with no trouble, but she mentioned that she doesn’t put the undies in the dryer because she thinks the heat will eventuall break down the no slip grip material. Thanks for the awesome tip!

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On Wednesday I showed y’all a new sweater (click HERE to see it on me with my favorite denim shorts), and I can now say that I’ve already worn it 3 times. I think it’s safe to say I like it.

So here’s my new favorite sweater with the shorts I originally got it to go with. 😉

I sized up to a medium in the sweater for a relaxed fit, I’m wearing my regular size 4 in the shorts (if between sizes, go down), and I suggest going up a 1/2 size in the sandals.

earrings / sweater / shorts / sandals

Get The Look For Yourself Here:

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I’ve got great news, my friends at Accessory Concierge agreed to extend the SIMS STONE NECKLACE deal! Through the weekend, you can use the code SIMS25 for 25% OFF the necklace! Here I am wearing my new white one with my peplum tee from last year (that’s back in stock!) and my favorite denim shorts from last year (that are back in stock)!

I’m wearing a small in the tee and it’s a great spring a summer basic, a 27 in the shorts (consider sizing down if between sizes), and size up a 1/2 size in the sandals. Here’s yet another version of my basic warm weather uniform. Oh, and the tee comes in plus sizes too!

If you need to decide which color necklace you want, make sure you check out this post where I highlight all 5 colors in different outfits.

peplum tee (comes in 9 colors!) / Sims stone necklace care of Accessory Concierge / favorite earrings ever / shorts/ sandals (size up a 1/2 size)

Get The Look For Yourself Here:

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So last Friday I showed y’all 3 different pairs of denim shorts of varying styles and lengths and reviewed them all for you. You can see that full review on the blog HERE, and you can also see a video review on my highlight reel on instastories (follow me on instagram at @sheafertoldmeto).

Well, I had ordered this pair to review as well, but they shipped late and didn’t arrive on time for the first post…so you are getting to see them today!

They are women’s sizing, they are a bit longer than my favorite pair without being too long (my favorite pair have a 3 inch inseam and these below have a 4 inch inseam), and they are non distressed. I had many of you asking for these exact things, and I think this pair is going to be the answer for many of you!!!

I had planned to review these and just take them back after I told you about them….but things don’t always go as planned. I’m keeping them for myself. They are a great fit (I’m wearing my regular size 4), and I like having a non-distressed option that also doesn’t have a crazy fray on the hem. These are great shorts. Remember, you can check out my instastories for a video review of them. Oh! You can also find other colors of this short HERE.

black tee / earrings / denim shorts/ belt ON SALE/ bracelets c.o. Accessory Concierge/ sandals / wood handle tote / bag tassel ON SALE c.o. Accessory Concierge

Get The Look For Yourself Here:

If you’d like to see all 4 shorts side by side, I’ve got you covered.

my favorite pair / frayed hem denim short / longer denim short option / medium length option

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Okay, ladies! This next outfit is for the last night of a blogger conference that I’m attending next weekend. It’s cocktail attire, and I looked high and low for a dress that I felt great in. I also wanted it to be comfy (comfy is always a high priority for me), and I didn’t want it to break the bank. Well, this dress is incredibly comfy and stretchy. You just slip it on, it doesn’t even have a zipper, and it hugs you in all the right places. AND YOU AREN’T GOING TO BELIEVE HOW MUCH THIS DRESS COSTS. $45. #iknow #itscrazy

It comes in several colors, but I went with the classic navy. I’m sassing it up with the heels and clutch, and so I went simple with the earrings.

Now, of utmost importance with this dress, let’s talk about the undergarments. I will be wearing my favorite strapless bra and I went ahead and bought myself this pair of Spanx.

earrings / dress / heels / clutch

Get The Look For Yourself Here:

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I got this top for a casual day at the conference, but I know I’ll be wearing it a ton! I grabbed it at the mall yesterday, and I can’t wait to throw it on with my favorite white jeans and my must have wedges. I’m wearing a small.

balloon sleeve embroidered top

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That’s all for today, I hope everybody has a wonderful weekend with your people!