Thrifty Wife Happy Life

Helping women love what they wear on a budget

Peplum Top Spring Look

by Katie Haller

Peplum top

I have had the biggest case of writer’s block for the last week.  Every time I go to sit down to write this blog post, my brain goes blank.  I have so much to say, yet I can’t get the words out.  I took these pictures of this outfit weeks ago, but I just have nothing to go with it.  So I decided since I’m a tired working blogging mom who is just trying to get to the weekend, I’m just going to leave this post as what it is.  It’s a cute spring outfit featuring my thrifted Old Navy peplum top.  It’s 50% thrifted and 100% budget-friendly.  Since this outfit is made up of thrift finds and clearance finds, I don’t have the exact links to it, but you can find similar pieces linked below.

*This post contains affiliate links which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link, I will earn a commission for this blog.  Thank you for your support! 
Peplum top

Peplum top

Peplum top

Peplum top

Shop my closet

Top- Old Navy- thrifted from Savers (similar, similar, similar)
Cardigan- Target- thrifted from Savers (similar, similar, similar)
Jeans- Abercrombie (similar, similar, similar)
Shoes- Walmart (similar, similar, similar)
Purse- Coach outlet- it’s old (similar)
Necklace- Nordstrom (exact)

February Daily Outfit Review

by Katie Haller

We finished another month in 2019.  Was it just me or did that month fly by?  It always does.  That’s why I always like February better than January.  February was actually a pretty cold month here in Las Vegas.  We had some chilly days and we even saw some snow.  I had a snow day at work, which is something I never thought that I would see as a teacher in Las Vegas.  Besides the snow, February has been a pretty good month for my family and I.  We celebrated Jack’s 3rd birthday.  It’s still hard to believe that I have a 3-year-old.  Now I’m looking forward to March, and I’m hoping that March brings some warmer weather.  I’m excited to get out of my winter clothes and start wearing more spring clothes. 


As I said in my daily outfit post from last month (read it HERE), I want to put together a monthly outfit round-up post of all my favorite outfits from the month that I didn’t get to share on my blog.  I share a lot of my daily outfits through Instagram, but many outfits never make it to Instagram and stay on my camera roll of my phone, so doing a round-up post like this allows me to share all those daily looks with all of you.  I also like to show how I re-wear and mix and match my clothes throughout the month.

*This post contains affiliate links, which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link will result in a commission for this blog at extra cost to you.  Thank you for your support! 

Top- Nordstrom (exact)
Sweater- Savers (similar)
Jeans- Target (exact)
Boots- Savers (similar)

Top- ThredUP (similar)
Cardigan- Savers- Old Navy (similar)
Jeans- Target (similar)
Shoes- Lulus (exact, similar)
Necklace- Nordstrom (exact)
Watch- Jord (exact)
Top- Old Navy (exact)
Leggings- Nordstrom Rack (exact)
Jacket- Savers- Old Navy (exact)
Scarf- Five Below (similar)
Hat- Target (similar)
Purse- Savers (similar)
Boots- Savers (similar)

Top- Abercrombie (exact)
Cardigan- Target (similar)
Jeans- Abercrombie (similar)
Shoes- ThredUP- Madden Girl (similar)

Sweater- Savers (similar)
Top- Nordstrom Rack (similar)
Leggings- Last Call Neiman Marcus (similar)
Slippers- Walmart (exact)

Top- Savers (similar)
Jeans- Goodwill (similar)
Shoes- Lulus (exact, similar)

Top- LC Lauren Conrad- Kohl’s (similar)
Jeans- Abercrombie (similar)
Shoes- Walmart (exact)
Purse- Last Call Neiman Marcus (similar)

Sweater- Kohl’s (exact, similar)
Jeans- Abercrombie (similar)
Shoes- Walmart (exact)
Purse- Last Call Neiman Marcus (similar)

Coat- Savers (similar)
Scarf- Banana Republic Factory (similar)
Hat- Target (similar)
Jeans- Target (exact)
Boots- Target (similar)

If you want to keep up with all my daily outfits you can follow me on Instagram (HERE).  You can also shop all my favorite outfits easily by following me on the LikeToKnow,it app (HERE).  I also have a link right here on my blog at the top to shop my Instagram, so you don’t have to download the app to shop my looks.  I’ll be back with another round-up in March, so be sure to check back!

Easy Outfit Combination- Black + Denim + Leopard

by Katie Haller

Black jeans, denim shirt and leopard print
Today I’m talking about one of the easiest outfit combinations ever!  All you need is something black, something denim and sometimes leopard.  This is one of my go-to looks when I want to feel stylish and feel confident in my outfit.  It can be done with pants, dresses, skirts, shorts… really anything.  Today I’m sharing 2 looks wearing the same base clothes (top and bottom).  My top is a chambray shirt and my bottoms are a pair of high wasted black jeans.  One look is for the day and the other is for the night. 
Black jeans, denim shirt and leopard print

Black jeans, denim shirt and leopard print

Black jeans, denim shirt and leopard print

Black jeans, denim shirt and leopard print

Look #1- Day look

For this look, I accessorized with my leopard loafers and a black satchel purse.  The larger purse and the flat shoes make the outfit a little more casual and more appropriate for the day.  It’s perfect for wearing anywhere.  It could be worn for work or if you want to look a little more put together while you run errands. I always love a good pair of leopard print shoes.  They can really make any look pop!
Black jeans, denim shirt and leopard print

Black jeans, denim shirt and leopard print

Black jeans, denim shirt and leopard print

Black jeans, denim shirt and leopard print

Look #2- Evening look

All I did to make this look more appropriate for the evening was switch out the flats for a pair of heels and the satchel purse for a leopard clutch.  This is a look I would wear if I was going out with friends in the evening or a date night with my husband.  It’s a very simple way to turn your day look into an evening look. 
Like I said, this combination is so simple and you can wear it in so many other ways.  It doesn’t take many pieces to complete it.  My biggest tip for putting together this combination is to keep it simple.  Don’t over-accessorize.  The leopard gives the look a big enough statement, so you don’t want to over-accessorize.  Also don’t mix your leopard.  I find that all you need is one leopard print accessory.  Mixing different leopard prints would just be too busy.  
For more ideas on how to style black, denim and leopard, you can check out my older posts (HERE, HERE, HERE) 

Shop my closet

Clutch- ThredUp (similar, similar) 
Pumps- Target (similar) 
Loafers- Lulu’s (similar, similar) 
Necklace- Nordstrom (exact)
Earrings- Etsy (exact) 
Sunglasses- Glassesshop.com (similar)

Flare Jeans- Yes or No??

by Katie Haller

Flare jeans outfit
The last couple of times that I cleaned out my closet, I’ve been debating if my flare jeans were worth keeping.  I haven’t worn my flairs in years.  This style of jeans got me through my middle school, high school, college years, and most of my early 20’s.  It’s hard for me to say that the flair style is completely dead.  I see people pull off flair jeans all the time, but for some reason, I feel like I’m not stylish enough to pull them off still. 

I decided that the only way to truly decided if flare jeans still brought me joy was to put together a cute outfit wearing them and have a little photoshoot.  That’s just what I did.  My favorite pair of flare jeans are a pair of Express jeans that I bought years ago.  These jeans take me back to 2008.  I remember them well because I wore them out many times to the bar in college.  I decided to try to style them for 2019, so I wore my ruffled striped top with them.  For shoes, I always enjoyed a good pair of heels with my flares.  I’m only 5’1, so I always need to add a little height when I can.  I decided to try out my strappy sandals.  I accessorized it with my leopard clutch and my pink pendant necklace.  I feel like this look is cute for a night out with friends or a date night with the husband.  
Flare jeans outfit

Flare jeans outfit

Flare jeans outfit

Flare jeans outfit

Striped ruffle top with flare jeans
So after having a fun little photo shoot in this outfit, I’ve decided that I’m going to hold on to this pair of flare jeans.  I will say that I did get rid of the rest of my flares.  If you have one nice pair of flares, I’d say keep them, but from what I found out from my polls on Instagram is that most of you guys are not into the flare style anymore.  So are they a completely dead style?  I don’t think so, plus everything comes back around.  That’s why I say if you have one nice pair still in your closet you should hold onto them, at least for a little longer. 

Shop my closet

Jeans- Express (Similar, Similar, Similar)
Top- Shein (Exact)
Shoes- ThredUp (Similar)
Purse-ThredUp (Similar, Similar)
Necklace- Nordstrom Rack (Exact)
Sunglasses- Glassesshop (Similar)

Adding Color to February

by Katie Haller

lavender sweater outfit
It’s February now and I think most people are pretty excited about that.  I never thought much of the month of February until 3 years ago when my due date was set for February.  Now every year I look forward to the month because I get to celebrate my little guys’ birthday.  He’s turning 3 this year and it’s really hard for me to believe.  I still refer to him as baby Jack when I’m talking to my students at school about him, but now I feel like he’s too big to be called that.  Now that he’s 3, he is actually remembering things and knows what’s going on.  This makes me feel pressured to make sure his birthday is extra special, so it looks like I need to spend some time on Pinterest planning out some birthday ideas. 
Anyway on to fashion. Since it’s February, I’m going to try to break out of my leggings and sneakers phase that I’ve been going through for the last month and attempt to put together some more colorful outfits.  The grey winter months need a little color.  Everyone always really loves reds and pinks for Valentine’s Day, but I’m really loving purple too!  This lavender sweater that I’m sharing today was a Christmas gift from one of my students.  I don’t always like getting clothes as a gift, because I’m picky and I don’t want to be rude if I don’t like it, but I actually really love this sweater.  It’s something that I would have never picked out for myself.  I probably would have bought it in oatmeal or grey.  It’s nice to have a bright pastel color in my closet.  I figured that it would transition well into the spring and also look really nice around Easter.  Scroll down to find out all the details!   
*This post contains affiliate links, which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link, I will make a commission for this blog.  Thank you for your support! 
lavender sweater outfit

lavender sweater outfit
lavender sweater outfit

lavender sweater outfit

Shop my closet

Sweater- Target (Exact, Similar, Similar) || Jeans- Abercrombie (Similar, Similar) || Shoes- Zappos (Exact, Similar, Similar) || Purse- Last Call Neiman Marcus (Similar, Similar) || Necklace- Nordstrom || Sunglasses- Glassesshop (Similar)

Daily Outfits- January Review

by Katie Haller

I’m so happy that we made it through January.  The first month of the year is usually a long one for me.  Kevin was away at training for most of the month, so it’s just been me and Jack during the week.  It actually went a lot smoother than I thought.  Jack was really good for me and I think it’s because he had all my attention and didn’t have to share me with his dad.  It was a good bonding time and it really made me appreciate the fact that my husband is home as much as he is with his job.


Son anyway, Something that I wanted to start doing this year on thriftywifehappyllfe.com, is a monthly outfit review.  I’m trying to make my blog more of a priority since this is what I love doing the most and sharing my daily outfits is what started it all.  I share a lot of my outfits on my Instagram that never makes it to the blog because it can be time-consuming to put together a post.  I also have a whole camera roll of outfits that sometimes never get shared.  I know that not all my readers have social media, so that’s why I wanted to do some daily outfit round up posts this year.  I like to share my daily outfits because I try to share real outfits that I actually wear in my daily life.  Some of my blog posts are just me being creative with my wardrobe and put together fun cute outfits, but sometimes I never get around to actually wearing those outfits.  With a daily outfit selfie, you get to see what I actually wore that day.  You can also see how often I repeat my clothes and wear them in different ways.

This month, I’ve been wearing a lot of my clothes that I got around Christmas time.  I’ve been trying not to shop too much, so I’ve also been shopping my closet a lot trying to make the most of my wardrobe.  It’s been chilly this last month, but nothing compared to the rest of the country where it’s been ridiculously cold.   I usually struggle with dressing for winter in Las Vegas, because I’m either too hot of too cold in my outfits.  It all depends on the wind and the sun to determinant how cold you will feel.  Another struggle for me has been the morning lighting.  It’s been really hard to take outfit selfies in the morning, because the sun rises so late.  I am really looking forward to longer days soon!

*This post contains affiliate links, which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link, I will earn a commission for this blog.  Thank you for your support!

Daily Outfits- January Review

Top- Nordstrom (Exact) || Jeans- Abercrombie (Similar) || Shoes- Madden Girls-ThredUp (Similar) || Necklace- Nordstrom Rack (Exact)

Daily Outfits- January Review

Top- Old Navy (Exact, Similar) || Cardigan- Old Navy- Savers (Similar) || Leggings- Simple Addiction (Exact, Similar) || Boots- Target- Savers (Similar, Similar) || Necklace- Nordstrom Rack (Exact) || Watch- JORD (Exact)

Daily Outfits- January Review
Top- American Eagel- Savers (Similar) || Leggings- Nordstrom Rack (Exact) || Denim Jacket- Old Navy- Savers (Similar) || Shoes- Kohl’s (Exact) || Scarf- Five Below (Similar) || Hat- Lids (Exact)

Daily Outfits- January Review

Jacket- Brand unknown- Savers (Similar, Similar) || Top- Nordstrom (Exact) || Jeans- American Eagle- Savers (Exact) || Boots- Target (Similar) || Purse- Coach Outlet (Similar) || Belt- hand me down (Similar)

Daily Outfits- January Review

Top- Nordstrom Rack (Exact, Similar, Similar) || Cardigan- Old Navy- Savers (Similar) || Jeans- Old Navy- Savers (Similar) || Shoes- Lulus (Exact, Similar) || Necklace- Nordstrom (Exact)

Daily Outfits- January Review

Sweater- Kohl’s (Exact, Similar, Similar) || Jeans- Old Navy- Savers (Similar) || Shoes- Kohl’s (Exact)

Daily Outfits- January Review
Top- PinkBlush (Similar, Similar) || Cardigan- Target- Savers (Similar) || Jeans- Abercrombie (Similar) || Shoes- Madden Girl- ThredUp (Similar) || Necklace- Nordstrom (Exact) 
Daily Outfits- January Review
Top- Old Navy (Similar) || Cardigan- Target (Similar) || Leggings- Last Call Neiman Marcus (Similar) || Shoes- Target (Similar) || Purse- Last Call Neiman Marcus (Similar) 
Daily Outfits- January Review

Sweater- Kohl’s (Exact, Similar) || Jacket- Old Navy- Savers (Similar) || Jeans- Target (Exact) || Shoes- Kohl’s (Exact) || Purse- Last Call Neiman Marcus (Similar) || Earrings-Esty (Exact)

Daily Outfits- January Review
Top- Nordstrom (Exact) || Cardigan- Merona- Savers (Similar) || Jeans- Express-distressed them myself-see post HERE! (Similar) || Shoes- Nordstrom (Exact) || Purse- Last Call Neiman Marcus (Similar) || Hat- Lids (Exact) 
Daily Outfits- January Review
Top- PinkBlush (Similar, Similar, Similar) || Cardigan- Target (Similar) || Jeans- American Eagle- Savers (Similar) || Shoes- Walmart (Similar, Similar) Earrings- Etsy (Exact) 
Those are some of my favorite January outfits.  Make sure you check in next month to see what my favorite February outfits are!  If you want to keep up on all my daily outfit posts you can follow me on Instagram and also on the LiketoKnow.it app! 

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