Where I've been...

I'm going to try for the short version.
In 2005 we bought our first house. We were 25, newly married, and wanted to start a family. We needed a nest before we had babies. We bought the cheapest house to sell in our town in months, a 2 bedroom ranch that we absolutely loved. I was 25, self employed, yet able to qualify for a nearly $300K loan (first red flag!). The bank couldn't understand why I didn't want to borrow more (second red flag!). Since my husband didn't have a long credit history, I was the only one of us one the loan. This would end up being our saving grace. Our mortgage payments were high, but we were assured that we would be able to refinance to a lower, fixed rate within a year. Should we have just rented? Maybe. Should we have waited until the market went down? To that I say, Who knew it was going to go down? Hindsight is 20/20.
Fast forward 3 years. Our house was worth $100K less than we paid for it. Our adjustable rate mortgage was set to re-adjust with no chance of refinance in sight. With the tanking economy had gone not only the equity in our home, but 2/3 of my freelance work, and my teacher husband was facing furloughs. We were still paying our outrageous mortgage, but after 3 years of simply maintaining, it was clear that we soon would be in trouble.
This was about the point where I stopped blogging. I realized that I needed to do something to save my family from what would ultimately be our financial ruin. I looked at our hand. What cards did we have? How would we play them? I started researching for hours a day. We agreed that a short sale was our best option. If we were able to short sell our house, with no missed payments (practically impossible), there was a small, itsy bitsy chance that my husband might be able to qualify for a loan after all was said and done. It was a long shot, but it really was our only hope. The Obi Wan Kenobi to our Princess Leia.
We hired the best short sale real estate agent in Sacramento. I spent hours on the phone with the bank, oftentimes followed up with more hours of research to see what to expect next. I haunted real estate forums. I Googled and Bing-ed until my eyes hurt. It was easily the most stressful period of my life. Banks are NOT your friends. Our bank (which rhymes with mace) is staffed by life sucking zombies from hell. We were current on our payments throughout the whole process, yet made to feel like schmucks for even trying to sell our house. They were beyond terrible at every turn. You know that "I love my bank" commercial? I hate my bank.
We listed our house in July, got an offer a week later, and closed escrow November 24th. It sold for $110,000 less than we paid for it. After childbirth, that day ranks as the biggest accomplishment of my life.
The end result? We now have an offer on a new house, are in escrow, and close in early March. It's one block away from our old house. Our new mortgage payment will be approximately 1/3 of what we were previously paying, for a house that's twice as big.
I know that not everyone in this situation is as lucky as we were. It took hours and hours of hard work, research, pleading, patience, and dedication. Not everyone starts out with the same set of circumstances. BUT, if you are in a tight spot, please know that there are options. Do your research. Don't think you have to stop paying your mortgage. And feel free to ask me any questions. I am by no means an expert, but I learned a thing or two throughout the process.
And now that the dust has settled, my family is soon to be in a new home, and life is calm again, I can BLOG!

The Blog is BACK!

The blog is BACK, for good this time! Having been inspired by the hometown bloggers I so luckily joined for dinner last night, I'm back to blogging. See a really great write up of our evening, here, at Heather's blog (still one of my fav's). Getting to know these girls through their blogs has been fun, but in person they are ten times better. I was actually kind of nervous to meet them all again, but through the common thread of blogging we discovered we have a ton in common (and all can make each other laugh!)
Instead of bore you with a long story of where I've been on this first post, I thought I'd just put together an outfit. I'll wait until later this week to tell the story of what I've been up to since August 27th, which was the last time I posted. The horror!
I have all sorts of things to write about, including how this little ol' blog will be different going forward, new additions, and big life changes, but in the meantime, enjoy some spring inspired cheapness on this rainy, rainy day.

Sweater, Modcloth
Haute Pink Top, Modcloth
Jeans, Overstock
Bag, Forever 21
Flats, Target
Bracelet, Old Navy
Sunglasses, Forever 21

FYI-Does anyone know how to make links in blogger just show the words you typed, not the HTML? For some reason all my links make big lines of HTML in my posts since my return...grr...

Frugal Friday...Wedding Edition!

Via Design Sponge

Check out Design Sponge (another of my favorite blogs!) today, and feast your eyes on this AMAZING $5 wedding dress and gorgeous vintage inspired wedding. (And I thought my $20 wedding dress was cheap!)
If I had it to do all over again, I'd borrow lots of these ideas. What's your favorite part? Was your wedding dress a frugal find or a special splurge? Do tell!

Bachelorette with Class

Loyal TOTC blog reader Tonja said, "I have a request! So I am a typical pear-shaped lady, about 5'5 and average size... bachelorette party in South Lake Tahoe on Labor Day weekend. Apparently the cute black dress I'd like to wear is too fancy for the late 20-something er's I'll be partying with (me being almost 33 and all). What the heck do I wear? I can't wear super high heels (bad feet) and want to be comfy, but still look like I am out to party.. any ideas?"
Tonja, I'm with you...I would have totally opted for the cute black dress. But apparently the trend is towards something a little more, um...trampy. Have you seen some of those bachelorette party photos on Facebook? Skkkaaanky. I don't want you to dress like a tramp, so I hope this outfit fits the bill. I think it's casual, but still put together and chic enough for dinner and drinks out with the girls. Do you agree bloggy readers? Or have I missed the boat on bachelorette fashion?
Here's the scoop about today, everything comes from Old Navy because there's a 30% off coupon! that you can use through Sunday! What up!

Fall Fashion Picks...

For those of you in need of a cheap fashion fix while I whip up the next blog post, head on over to Lily Jane. She's one of my favorite bloggers.
I want one of everything she's posted today...especially the mustard sweater and floral dress. Swoon! And check out those $25 jeans!
Enjoy!

By the Side of the Road, Dressed to Kill

I am just so excited about today's post...When Katie wrote me, asking for advice on what to wear to a Jackie Greene concert, I knew I'd have a blast creating a look. Why? Because we're major Jackie Greene fans in my house. Right after we were married five years ago, my husband and I took a road trip and listened to all the CD's we'd burned for our wedding. Somehow Rusty Nails, Jackie's first album, was in the mix. We must have listened to that CD 20 times. We were certain he was an old black guy from the south, with his blues meets rock meets folk vibe. WRONG! He's a skinny white kid from Sacramento. Who had a concert coming up. The American Myth album release concert at Empire is still the BEST concert I've ever been to. Fast forward to now, and we've been to more Jackie concerts than I can count. Really, I tried the other night and lost track.
Just so you know, there are two kinds of people at a Jackie Greene concert: Regular folks, and crazy dancing cougars. You have to watch out for them, with their flailing arms, empty drinks, and jungle print skimpy attire. They go nuts for "Mexican Girl". If Jackie was a man whore, he could have his pick of 50 year old divorcées every night. But I'm pretty sure he's an upstanding guy (and can probably get a gal his own age just as easily). Too bad for the cougars. Katie has a boyfriend, and is nowhere near cougar territory, so she'll be just fine rocking an indie inspired, folk/blues/rock worthy getup.
In summary, Katie, please have a blast for me at the concert. If you find at the last minute you have an extra ticket, I know someone who'd make the trek to Santa Cruz with you. (Wink wink!)
Oh yeah, everything today comes from Tilly's. Word!

Stay at Home Moms...Put DOWN the Sweatpants!

Yesterday I got an email from Becky, who said, "I'm so glad that you're back! Any ideas for a business woman turned new stay at home mommy? I'm lost!"
Hi Becky! First off, kudos to you for being a stay at home mom. It's my humble opinion that spending at least part of the workweek home with your kids is extremely important. Watching your kids grow, getting to take part in their day, being there when they wake up from their naps, feeding them lunch, playing with them outside...that's all stuff a parent would miss if that kiddo was in day care. Luckily for me I'm able to work part time from home and be here with my little one. I know there are mom's who probably don't agree with me or who would get bored (or go crazy) home with their kids all day. To each her own.
Moving on, this is a request that I'm actually an expert on. When I quit my corporate job to work from home, I went from heels and dresses to a limited wardrobe of yoga pants and hoodies. And sweatpants. Oh, the sweatpants. Did you know you can wear them all day and they then transition into pajamas? Therein lies the problem. Wearing the same thing for a couple days in a row can really make you feel frumpy. After my daughter was born (and I stared this blog) I began to realize that the way I dressed directly affected the way I went about my day. Sweatpants and hair in a pony tail? I'm probably not leaving the house. An accessorized outfit and my hair-did? I'm most likely to get the heck out of here today! And as any stay at home mom can tell you, getting out of the house is muy importante.
So, my prescription for the stay at home mom. Start with the basics. (See below). We've all got some form of these in our closets. Think cardigans, tank tops, long sleeve shirts, jeans, khakis, jean jacket. Start there. (These all come from Old Navy).



But don't stop at the basics! Now the fun begins. Get thee to Target, Old Navy, and Payless, and blow a hundred bucks. For a Benjamin, you'll get enough fun accessories and shoes to make it easily through next Spring. Here's my accessory trifecta: Scarves, earrings, and flats. I LOVE scarfs. From about September through April I'll wear a scarf almost every day. Usually one with a loud print. I pair it with some cha cha earrings and colorful flats, and I'm good to go.



Hope this helps, Becky! What do you other stay at home mom's think? Anything you'd add to the list of must-haves?

In Neutral

This weekend my uber-chic cousin Cyndi wore an amazing dress to the bridal shower. (It was kind of like this one from Modcloth.) So today I'm shamelessly stealing her look.
I sure have been a bad blogger. Things are both great and crappy at the same time right now, and I've been busy researching myself silly lately on the interwebs trying to make things right. Which they are slowly on their way to becoming. Cryptic, eh? It's like one of those Facebook status postings that says "I'm having a really bad day, don't ask why". In short, I miss the blog, and being an adult on the computer and being all responsible is not near as fun as shopping online and putting fun outfits together. I think I need more of this in my life.
Thanks for all the nice comments yesterday! Anybody have anything they'd like to see? Going anywhere and need outfit ideas? Have a hankering for some new accessory and don't want to spend a fortune? Let me know!


Clutch
Shoes
Earrings
Necklace
Belt
Dress

It's Been Awhile...

I should be doing housework. But, the baby is sleeping in the room which houses the mountain of unfolded laundry. Thus, I decided to sit down and revisit the blog I abandoned. Remember me? I used to throw outfits together and write (what I hope was) witty commentary. Alas, life gets in the way, and my blog got thrown by the wayside. I'm hoping to get back to it.
So, this weekend was our family reunion and a bridal shower for Kristin, my soon to be cousin in law, who is going to be a librarian, which made me think of this awesome pin I saw awhile back, which inspired me to want saddle shoes. Which brought about a long overdue blog post.
Blogger is being weird and won't let me post links. Or maybe I've been away so long that things have changed and technology has passed me by...whatever. If you want to know where something comes from today, just email me.
The baby is awake. Off to fold laundry.

Your Other Left...or Why I Don't Go to the Mall

Next week I'm going to Forever 21 for the first time since I started this blog. In fact, I haven't been to Forever 21 since I worked downtown and used to play hooky during lunch. I didn't even get a lunch (I worked through it in order to get out of work faster) but some days I would need to go to the "printer" or "take some photos" or someplace equally fake. Instead, I either drove around aimlessly trying to figure out why I was wasting my life working in a windowless office with a boss who was a cross between Martha Stewart and Hitler, or I'd go shopping. And feel guilty about it the whole time. Long story short, I haven't been to Forever 21 in a long, long time. Part of that is because the only one's around here are in malls, and I hate the mall. I hate the smell...the mix of Cinnabon, Bath and Body Works, and teenager. But the main reason I hate the mall is because of my (self diagnosed) directional dyslexia. Anyone who knows me, has traveled with me, or ever asked me for directions knows I am hopeless. I can't tell my right from my left, or North from South, it's that bad. (Isn't that sad? I should be in a support group or something. Hello my name is Tracy and I'm really lame).
So anyway, I walk in to a store, shop around, then leave. And can't remember which way I came in. I literally end up walking in circles, completely lost and eventually frustrated. Plus the people there walk way too slow. SO...I don't go to the mall. But next week, I'm going to a Forever 21 that's in an old Gottschalks, completely non-mall. And it's close to the beach. Life is good. (Plus when you're close to the beach, it's really easy to tell which way is West!)

The scoop, all from Forever 21:
Earrings, $7.80
Floral Tunic, $19.80
Linen Pants, $22.80
Sunglasses, $5.80
Sandals, $19.80
Purse, $29.80

The Dangers of Being Cheap

Sometimes being cheap isn't the best route to take. Take this wine, for instance. I snagged two bottles at Walmart for $1.97 a piece. Thinking I had scored the deal of the century, I chilled a bottle of Chardonnay to drink whilst watching Mad Men. (Netflix, not cable...if a bottle of two dollar wine did not already alert you to the fact that we are incredibly cheap).
Long story short, one glass was all either my husband or I could drink. Think white grape juice mixed with rubbing alcohol and vodka. The rest of the bottle went down the sink.
End of the story, you may think. Wrong! We both woke up with killer hangover headaches...from one glass of wine! If I'm going to have a hangover, I better have had a whole lot of fun getting it.
Moral of the story...there are some things worth spending money on. At least more than 2 bucks.

Colored Denim on the Cheap

Lindsay sent me an email the other day which said, "Hey Tracy-I have a mission for you. I love the colored denim trend, but can't find anything that is actually affordable! I am looking for teal or turquoise skinny leg jeans- have any ideas?"
You bet I have some ideas! What do you think about those jeans up there? I know the purple ones are a little out there, but I thought I'd throw them in for fun. The best part is they are all under 30 bucks! 
What trends are you jumping on this summer? 
The scoop: 
Skyscraper Colored Jeans, Roxy  $30.99
Victoria's Secret Low Five Capri's   $14.99
Element Daryl Denim, Swell    $19.99
Zipper Pocket Twill Pant, Forever 21     $13.50