How I shop TJ Maxx

To start I want to give a shout-out to one of my amazing friends, Amanda! We were talking one day and she said, " I am so sick of everyone finding cute stuff at TJ Maxx, and I never find anything."

(There may have been some more colorful language used there for those of you that know her, but I am keeping it PG for the blog LOL).

Once she told me to blog about it, I was all in. I am a huge TJ Maxx lover, just check my bank statement if you need any proof. The thing about TJ Maxx though, is that it is a different type of shopping experience. Nothing is laid out and organized like a normal store, and you almost have to have an different approach to shop there.

Here is my simple checklist for when I shop at TJ Maxx:

• Don't be in a hurry
• Don't be shopping for something super specific
• Know your wardrobe

Don't be in a hurry

If you are in a hurry you might as welll not even step foot in a TJ Maxx store. Like I said earlier, it isn't organized like a normal store, and it takes time to look through the giant racks of tops, bottoms, or whatever you are looking at. This will only stress you out because you know you are on a time crunch and you are furiously sliding through the shirts on the rack, mad you haven't found one you like yet. 

Instead come at a time that you have no time frame. Your day off, your day free of kids, your "me" time. When you have the time to casually look through the items it is going to make your experience 10 times more enjoyable. Yes, you still have to slide through each shirt in your size, but you will be so surprised what cute stuff you find if you give yourself the time to look.


Don't be shopping for something super specific

If I walk into a TJ Maxx and I am like, " I need a black shirt with 3/4 length sleeves, a small detail on the side, loose here and tight here, and basically this shirt right here I see Blake Lively is wearing in her new Instagram pic," 9 out of 10 times I am not going to find that shirt. Specifics are not good at a store like TJ Maxx. It is a discount store filled with thousands of random items, so going in looking for one specific item is a recipe for a shopping headache.

I like to go in with a completely open mind. Maybe I could use a few cute tops in my wardrobe. Nothing specific, so I have a lot of room to work with on what the top looks like. This will help keep you relaxed. I have the best experiences there when I am not planning to buy anything. I go in to look, and stumble upon super cute items. This is when it feels like a success, and it all starts with the attitude you walk in with.

Know Your Wardrobe

This is crucial for shopping at this store! Know what you already have to work with, so if you find something cute you will know if you have another piece to pair it with. This is what helps me be able to create outfits in my head. They may not always work out, but I like to have a plan for every item I buy to make sure that I am actually going to wear it.

Nobody is perfect, bad buys will happen. The amount of times I have had buyers remorse is horrible, but that's what wonderful returns are for!

Here are a couple outfits I put together from my latest two TJ Maxx purchases. Neither of these items were what I was looking for but they were cute and I knew I had clothes to pair with them for an outfit so I jumped on them.

The jogger pants. Oh my Lord. They are seriously the bomb you guys. I paired them with a basic body suit that I got at TJ Maxx last year, and some Steve Madden sandals, also from TJ Maxx. In total this outfit only cost me $45. $10 bodysuit, $10 joggers, $25 sandals!!

This next shirt I got at TJ Maxx, and paired with shorts that also happen to be a TJ Maxx purchase from earlier this year. Although this look is so simple, I love the design, texture, and fit of this top. It is a linen so perfect for hot summer weather! This is an item I have been on the hunt for casually for a couple months, but just knew I'd find it when I find it. This outfit was a little more due to the fact the shirt is good quality linen material. In total I paid $70; $30 for the top, $15 for the shorts, $5 for the belt, and $20 for the sandals.

Although these tricks usually work for me, I do walk away empty handed at times. You will not always find something at TJ Maxx, and that's alright. However, when I follow this little checklist it makes my experience much less stressful and enjoyable. Hopefully they help you too. Especially you, Amanda!

More to Come,

Small Town Fashionista

Just Keep Swimming

If  you didn't guess by the title from the iconic "Finding Nemo", this blog is all about swimwear.

(Before I talk about the awesome fashion trends, I just want to put in my two cents on swimwear body image issues)

How many times do we dread putting on that swimsuit and heading to the beach with our friends?

My question is why?

 We need to love putting on that suit. We need to own it. We need to put societies standards aside and enjoy this wonderful life we are lucky enough to live. In 10 years will I remember what I looked like in that swimsuit? No, I will remember the awesome times I had while wearing it, but those times will never happen if I am too worried about what people think I look like in it.

Enjoy life guys. Don't spend your life worrying about such minor things. Just be who God so carefully created you to be.

But the most important thing I have learned is...DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF TO ANYONE ELSE.

Sorry about the rant, but self-love is so important ladies, we need to love ourselves and each other. Let's be women that build each other up, not tear each other down.

Now that my serious note is over, I should probably get to what you guys came here for...THE SWIMWEAR BLOG!

So I am going to say it loud and proud, and one more time for the people in the back. One of my favorite places to shop swimwear is....Target. For the price, quality, and styles, Target gets an A in my book. I am all for shopping the cute online boutiques swimwear, but I love to be able to touch and feel and physically try on my swimwear before I buy it. (Sorry if you hate target swim, but I hope this won't affect our friendship)

The One Piece

Ok, honestly this trend cracks me up. Five years ago none of us would be caught dead wearing a one piece swimsuit.

"Oh my gosh did you see Stacy was wearing a one piece? What is she 80?" 

(Sorry to any Stacy's reading. Random name selection got the best of you this time)

But now all of us are fighting over that last one piece in stock. Fashion is a never ending cycle, and I am personally a fan of the one piece coming back into style. So many different variations keeping it fun.

One Piece From: https://www.kohls.com/

The High-Neck

I am a huge fan of the high-neck bikini top. Fun fact about me is that I am a beach volleyball junkie. I love this style of swimwear because any active thing I do on the beach I feel so secure and supported.

This style has been in for a couple years now but it is not going away anytime in the near future.

Bikini From: https://www.target.com/

The Cover-Up

Another trend I have started to notice is making our swimwear into a full on outfit. Before we just wore a bikini and that was it. Now, not only do we have to have the right bikini, but we need to have the right cover-up, jewelry, and sunhat to go right along with it.

I personally love this trend, because I am all about accessorizing and making an outfit more exciting. The Boho style cover-ups are huge right now, as well as the classic white cover-ups.

Cover-Up from: https://www.maurices.com/

There are so many more swimwear trends but these are a few of my personal favs. 

I hope this little tips help, and that each one of you rock your swimwear this summer!

#Girlpower

More to Come,

Small Town Fashionista

How to Dress for Mother Nature's Jokes

Disclaimer: I am almost sad that I get to post this blog, because it means that the weather has changed back to that wonderful chilly Midwest spring...

"How do we go from 90 degrees to 60 degrees in less than a week!?"

This is my favorite question of all time. Mostly because we all ask it every year. And we act surprised each year, like we didn't expect it to happen again.

 But yet, here we are again thinking, "Why do we not live in a more kind-weathered area?"

I don't have an answer to that question, but I do have a few tips on how you can dress to deal with the ever changing weather.

WHAT DO I WEAR?

Ok, so I really don't want to be the bearer of mom-like news, but you really do have to check the weather to stay informed (this still may not help you since there is a 90% chance the forecast will be wrong), but it is a valid effort to start with.

So you check the weather, and you see it is going to be chilly after an extremely hot week. (Sound familiar anyone?) 

What can you wear to stay warmer, but not have to pull out your entire winter stock of sweaters?

LIGHT LAYERS. LIGHT LAYERS. LIGHT LAYERS.

If you guys missed the obnoxious writing above, my advice is to wear light layers. And yes, I do mean light in color and weight. 

Light in color so you can stay dressed for the spring and summer seasons, and light in weight so if the day does take a turn for better weather you can always take a layer off and won't be left sweating in what you have on.

The bottoms

If I know that it is going to turn really hot later, I may suck it up and wear some shorts instead of  long denim. However, my usual go to is cropped denim. You can wear literally any style of footwear with cropped denim and look great, which is why I love it. I also chose the pink here to help give myself color and a spring/summer look.

Cropped Denim: https://www.kohls.com/

The top

Same as with bottoms, if I know it is going to turn hot I will throw a tank under the cardigan, but typically you will find me with a tee on underneath. 

(I am so sorry for the excitement I am about to have over this cardigan)

THIS CARDIGAN IS THE MOST AMAZING PIECE OF CLOTHING I OWN.

I know, bold statement. But let's get real. I will wear this cardigan every season, every week, every freaking day if I can. (I am not that gross I promise.) This little number is a staple piece, and everyone needs one in their closet. First it has a hood, second it has pockets, and third it is long, and long sweaters are huge right now! If those three points didn't sell you, let me tell you how much I paid for it....$14.99!! And no, that is not a typo.

So if you can't tell I guess you could say I like that cardigan. 

Cardigan: https://www.kohls.com/

Tee: https://tjmaxx.tjx.com/store/index.jsp

The Accessories

I love a good belt with any high waist pants. I know it is super simple, but it adds such subtle detail to the look. I also paired the look with a neutral crossbody handbag. I didn't want to overpower my colored denim with any wild pattern or colored handbag, so neutral helped to keep the look from having too many different things going on.

Belt: https://tjmaxx.tjx.com/store/index.jsp

Crossbody: https://www.kohls.com/

Overall this is just one example of how I use those tips to make an outfit I can wear on the sad chilly spring and summer days. I am hoping we don't have many of them, but hopefully this gave you all some ideas on how to make any temperature fashionable!

More to Come,

Small Town Fashionista