New Chapter

Today was the big day!

We turned in the keys and said goodbye to our home for the past 10 months. 

It was a bitter sweet goodbye.

It seems like we left so much behind, yet there are so many great things that I know lie ahead for us.

A second chance, and a chance to start completely over.

That is what I am most excited for.

And I am excited to get closer to my in-laws, and for Aiden to get closer to them as well.

I can say though, that we are so exhausted. This entire week has been such a blur, and moving out in a day and a half has drained us so bad.

It is nice to have it all said and done, and now onto getting cozy into our new home.

Let's see what this new chapter has in store.

xo,

N

Downsizing

Sorry that it has been so long, a week exactly, since I have blogged.

It started with a very busy weekend that just spilled into a very busy week.

And it is also going to be another busy week.

We had to make a very big decision today,

we will be moving out of our little apartment and moving in with my in-laws and we only have less than a week to do it.

I am a little nervous about the time limit.

I am hoping that we can get everything done.

I just so happened to spring clean our apartment this weekend and past week{which is another reason why I have not blogged} so that really helps us.

I am so grateful to have this opportunity. My in-laws are such a blessing and it will be nice to have them around Aiden. It is a little sad, and humbling, to no longer be able to have a place that is our own, but I am so blessed that we will be surrounded by people that love us, and most importantly our son.

It's hard not to give into the moments at times where it feels like this is going to be a season that lasts forever. I know it is starting to really get to my husband; but I am hoping that by the time I return back to work that my husband will have a new amazing job that pays great and has great benefits. I don't know at times why that feels so impossible. I must remain positive and keep my hope grounded in the Lord.

It feels like there is so much opposition for us right now, but when I take the time to really think about it, it gets steeper the closer you get to the mountain top, so I pray that this is just a sign that our breakthrough is almost here.

I talked to a great friend of mine today, and she reminded me that this just adds to my story.

I still believe that there is a lesson in all of this. And my biggest prayer is that we learn what it is in God's timing and that our flesh doesn't make this test last longer than it has to.

I can really say that this circumstance has really changed the way I think and feel about a lot of things.

I have often found myself angry- not at my situation but with myself.

Angry that I somehow strayed away from the saver that I used to be.

Angry that I took Gabriel's job for granted and just assumed that it would always be there.

Angry that I did not live a more simple life and didn't find and stress the need to really save like I could of.

I regret the credit lines opened just so I could buy more things because I became dissatisfied with what I had.

I became so consumed with feeling like I needed to give in to a certain image and lifestyle that was out of my means.

I was never like that.

I was the girl that found 20 ways to re-invent the same outfit.

I lost my creativity. I lost my discipline. I lost my focus. And now I see the repercussions to it.

I wish I could go back and change everything and help myself be better prepared.

But I can't.

All I can do now is change my future. And I pray that I never take this experience for granted.

I pray that down the line when things get better I don't fall into the same patterns and that this season of my life just become a bad movie clip that I forget about.

I truly want to Live Like No One Else, So That I May Live Like No One Else.

I am done being a poor steward. I am done with this situation. I just want to live financially free.

How did I let things get this way?

That is the question that I am struggling with the most. 

I never pictured us going through this. I can not deny that at times it is hard not to feel prideful. I struggle with the need to feel like I have to be self sufficient. 

I think it comes from being raised by a strong, single mother. 

It has affected the way I feel about how I have to be in certain situations.

My mom is one of the most strongest, beautiful woman I know, and I feel like I get the need for feeling independent from her.

She always had to be strong for us.

Her faith always covered us and carried us.

I feel like I have to be just as strong as she is for us.

When I think about our circumstance, this quote above describes it perfectly.

It is kind of like child birth.

The moments leading up to Aiden's birth were so painful and intense. They required all the strength I had and brought out a power and love I never knew I had inside of myself. And after all the sweat, tears, blood and pain I received the most beautiful blessing I could have ever imagined. 

The love that I have for my son is more than I ever imagined.

I never thought I could love like this.

And if such beauty could come from such pain,

I believe that the same will happen for us financially as well.

Thanks for tuning in!

xo,

N

Xhileration

Happy Friday Everyone!

I hope you all had a very good Valentine's Day.

As for me and Husby, we did.

What did our date consist of?

We each got two of our favorite slices of pizza at Dions.

Mine: Cheese, pepperoni, and green chile.

His: Cheese, pepperoni, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and bacon.

Then got two Sweetheart shakes for the price of one at Sonic.

I think we got out on a pretty good deal this Valentine's Day.

Shoe of The Day

These are from Xhileration from Target. 

I actually blogged about them here when I bought them!

 They were an online deal that I scored on Target.com.

Aren't they cute?

I think so too.

What are your plans this weekend?

Share them with me!

xo,

N

Valentine's Day

I found these little treats at Wal-Mart yesterday.

It is the closest I am going to get to Atlanta Bread until we move to Colorado.

I was really excited when I found them. I really miss that restaurant.

This is my Valentine's Day outfit. Hubby is really excited for it and so am I.

I love being able to get dolled up again.

What are your plans for Valentine's Day? Mine involve me and Hubby on the couch cuddled up to a good movie and some fun snacks.

I have the two most cutest Valentines in the world. 

Aren't I blessed woman?

Shoe of The Day

Today's shoe of the day I found a year or two ago at Ross.

They are from BCBGeneration.

I love when I score finds for cheap!

I am an 'all about sales' woman.

And I just love how feminine these are.

- 

Well, it is time for me to go enjoy my day with my Valentine's.

I hope you are all having a great day!

I leave you all with this:

P.S. Take advantage of my 25% off sale from my closet. It ends tomorrow!

xo,

N

Lauren Conrad

Shoe of The Day

Today's shoe of the day is from the lovely Lauren Conrad.

Like most things in my closet I got these beauties on sale {over a year and a half ago} at Kohls.

You know what makes me happy? They still look new. 

If it is one thing I pride myself in it is how much I take care of my things. Especially my shoes.

Poshmark

I scored quite the deal on Posmark today. 

I sold 10 items (valued at $39 before my 25% off sale) for $15.

I'm sure you're wondering why that is a deal right? Well,after the sale, my items came out to $30. 

Wondering where the other $15 went?

Here!

I got these lovely flats! The lovely @iequalstyle sold me some flats I liked in her closet {that are perfectly new still might I add} in exchange for $15 off the things she ordered from me in my closet.

Now wouldn't you say that's a deal?

Check out our closets and start Poshing! It is such a great community and I am having so much fun.

xo,

N

Ombre

I can always use a little reminder. ❤  There are so many plans I have for this year. Keeping up with my blog is part of it, and I am so glad that I have been able to do that so far.

Are there any big dreams that you have set for yourself for this year?

Inspired by Valentine's Day, I did myself an Ombre mani. There is a cute dress that I have planned for Valentine's Day that this would go great with. Stay tuned for that. I tried it on the other day just to make sure it fit now that I am postpartum, and Hubby fell in love with that. I would say that that makes it a success.

Shoe of the Day

These little darlings are from A'Gaci. 

I just had to get them.

I just believe that every girl should have a little sparkle in her step.

Like Ms. Marilyn Monroe says, give a girl the right pair of shoes and she can conquer the world.

What did you conquer today?

xo

N

Blue Suede Shoes

Enjoyed this little treat this morning along with my breakfast. Isn't it darling?

It is getting me in the mood for Valentine's Day.

I also shipped out my first two Poshmark orders this morning. I am excited for my first two customers. ❤

Shoe of The Day

I scored this little fashion find at Target. You wouldn't believe what I found them for. 

$9.98

You got that right.

Best $10 I have ever spent.

I like to refer to them as my little Blue Suede Shoes.

-

Remember to shop my closet and follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

It's barely noon and I would like to say my morning has already been quite productive. How about yours? Tell me all about it.

xo

N

Goodness

I got to sleep in and spend the morning and afternoon with this little guy all to myself.

Aren't I super blessed? I adore his long lashes. He got those from Daddy, and I prayed that he would the entire 9 months that I was pregnant. God answers even the smallest prayers. 

Speaking of prayers, I want to share how God has answered some of them!

Blessed

This past week we were blessed in ways that we could not imagine. My bestfriend blessed us with $60 for groceries, we were taken grocery shopping by another awesome momma where she spent $100 to get us food, we were given $300, recieved a $50 Wal-Mart gift card and were just informed today that someone randomly blessed us and went and paid our $160 electric bill that would have been shut off if we would not have paid it this month. Not to mention we were also blessed with formula, diapers and I had two sales on Poshmark!

This week has had me at the point of happy tears. Since we were taken grocery shopping, we have decided to use the $360 towards bills. With that we have about $200 to put towards January's past due car payment.   What a blessing!

We were also notified that we are approved for Medicaid as a family, for food stamps, and for cash assistance. That will take away Aiden's weekly copay for his casting appointments, and we have never had such a big budget for groceries ever in the 2 years that we have been married. We literally can stock up every week on groceries! That brought tears to my eyes.

The cash assistance a month is about what I made in a week. It isn't much, but God willing if the amount doesn't change (for the worst) after we have our appointment this Friday it will help us make the car payment  every month. That lifts a big weight off my shoulders!

-

It touches me to see God work in our favor. I don't know how all of our other bills are going to get paid, but it lifts a lot of weight off my shoulders knowing that rent, the car, and food are taken care of.

I am touched beyond measure at how people have reached out to us. It was not expected from me. So many times people have 'promised' me and Gabriel things and never fallen through, or if they did, they would hang it over our head that they helped us and make us feel horrible about being in need.

So you can imagine the tremendous blessing it is for people that really care to reach out to us without us even being able to know who they are. I have never had something done for me at such a level.

-

I will admit that it still crosses my mind how we will get by until Gabriel gets a new job. The assistance from the government helps but it is still barely enough to cover our two basics. But I believe that God is just showing us the tip of the iceberg of His goodness.

And I am grateful on how it has changed my perspective on my attitude towards my wants and my needs. After this I never want to take out another loan or credit card again. It so isn't worth it. 

The next loan I will ever get will be to take out a mortgage, and that's if by then I can't pay for it cash.

It really has taught me a lot about true stewardship.

-

After my last post No Income and Three Mouths To Feed it kind of inspired me to document our journey and show along the way how God brings us out of this situation. It is not a situation that I am proud to be in, but I know that it will be nice to look back and see how God has brought me through, and it will be a chance to touch someone else who may be going through the same thing that I am.

How can someone know my story if I never open my mouth and share it?

So welcome into the most innerparts of our lives. It isn't the glamour that I wish it would be at this point, but I know that God is working behind the scenes to use it for my good and for His glory. 

-

I am excited for what is to come. There really is no where to go but up!

Shoe of The Day

Now for the promised part of my blog. You didn't think I forgot did you?

I got these cute things this past November for one of my bestfriend's wedding. I was her {very prego} bridesmaid and these were my shoes! A $16 score at JC Penny.

Aren't they cute? I love them.

-

Well, thank you so much for tuning in. Feel free to shop my closest here or go up to the right to find the links to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.

xo, 

N

Shoe Of The Day

Hello all. So yesterday was a hectic one with our little one, so I apologize that I didn't make my post. So I will make up for it in today's post.

Today was a pretty good day. Made Hubby an amazing breakfast. I even surprised myself.

Doesn't that look yummy?

Shoe of The Day (one)

These shoes are Xhileration, a lovely Target find. We found them on a great sale while I was so pregnant that high heels were not even an option anymore, but the lovely Hubby got them for me anyway. 

Isn't he just such a sweet heart?

Shoe of The Day (two)

I love these beauties. These are from the lovely Vera Wang, and they are a Kohls find. These were also found on sale.

Hubby also loves these. I wore them last Valentine's Day. Which reminds me, I need to get on the planning. What are your plans for Valentine's Day?

xo

N

SM New York and Poshmark

Shoe of The Day

This post is a lot later than I would like, but I am glad to still get it in today. Today's shoe of the day is:

I found these beauties at Sears believe it or not! The brand is SM New York.

I love the edge that they give. I am really glad I found these. My mom actually got these for me last year on a window shop date that we had together. I am really blessed.

Poshmark

I sold my first thing on Poshmark today! So to thank my buyer I made her a cute custom thank you card. What do you think?

Interested in seeing what I have for sale in my closet? Click my Poshmark button that you see towards the left!

Thanks for tuning in!

xo

N

BCBGirls

This pair was one of my first 'designer' pair of heels, and I absolutely love them. You know those heels that you love so much you wouldn't part with them for the world? Well for me, these are them.

These are the kind of shoes where I will put them on just to feel pretty, even if it means I am staying home in my pajamas for the day. You ever have one of those days?

I absolutely love these darlings. Maybe I will break them in again for Valentines Day. Have you picked your outfit out yet?

xo,

N

Jessica Simpson

Today's shoe for the day: Snakeskin Jessica Simpsons

Falling in love with these yet?

Husband fell in love with them too once he saw me try them on. It is the reason why they are now apart of my shoe collection. 

What can I say, I have a good Hubby.

xo,

N

No Income and Three Mouths To Feed

Ok, so I have debated on whether or not to do this post. I am a very private person, and growing up I've always been influenced that you just don't share your life when its not going that great. Well, I've also always been the person that loves things to be perfect, and as a society we are influenced that our lives need to also portray that. We have to keep up with the Jones' right?

So, here it is. 

We're broke. And just had a newborn. 

And trust me, when I say broke there is no exaggeration. My husband lost his job this past month, and while we had our son at the beginning of January we were both already on leave without pay to take care of him. We have maybe $1 in our checking account, no cash (except a couple loose change in Aiden's piggy bank-maybe around $5 if we're lucky) and we are pretty much out of groceries. We haven't been able to pay any of our bills and I have no idea how we are going to pay the car, our insurances and medical premiums, Aiden's weekly doctor visits, groceries, gas, and just the bare necessities.

Our credit scores are now shot, and my biggest fears right now are getting evicted and our car getting repossessed if we can't find a way to keep up with the payments. Our lease is up in May, and I have no idea what our living arrangements will be by then.

Gabriel just got awarded unemployment but it barely covers our rent and not even the car payment. We have no savings. Anything and everything we had we have used while we have been without pay to try and keep up and we've now depleted our accounts.

We have applied for Medicaid for Aiden and are trying to get food stamps, but so far we're being thrown for a loop and haven't been awarded either. 

For the past couple of days I have been at a breaking point. I have a son that I adore and have no way of knowing how I am going to support him. My husband has yet to find a job and I don't know how long it will be until he finds one. Our marriage has been tested and I am not going to deny that the stress has begun to cause a distance between the both of us. Not only is there now an emotional distance between the both of us at times, but not being able to physically reconnect for about another month until the doctor says its okay has also not helped. I miss my husband, and it is so hard to feel like he is so close yet so far away.

Its so hard not to cry as I write this. 

I wish I new how to fix our life and our situation. 

I know that God's word says that all things work together for my good because I love the Lord, but I have had my moments where my faith has not been so strong, and I can't help but wonder when God is going to open up the windows of Heaven like His word promises.

I have to believe that what I am going through has a purpose. It is the only thing that is keeping me sane. There is no way that this pain is in vain. 

In my moments where my faith is strong I feel blessed, that God Himself would trust me enough with this trial and that He would trust that through it I would remain faithful. If He only gives us what we can handle, then I guess I am one of the strongest women that I know {and I don't even know it}.

But in my moments when I am weak I can't help but let the thought cross my mind that maybe I am just a screw up and this is somehow what I deserve. 

Slowly since August of last year my pregnancy began to take my out of work due to sciatic problems, and since then some of our bills have been going unpaid. Not to mention the costly dental visits that I had to take due to my pregnancy hormones affecting my gums. {I am so glad that that is finally over with}.

The stress of bill collectors calling and not being able to give them an answer as to when I can make our next payment has done a number on me too. I was never in this situation before. I was the young adult that paid her bills early, almost had a 700 credit score and had it 'all together'. 

-

I can not deny that although my faith is hanging on {even if at times it is by a thread} that there are times where I am so ashamed of where we are at. This was never who I was, and I have moments where I feel like this situation and circumstance that I am now in defines who I am.

There are days where it feels like it may never change.

-

But I have to believe that there is someone out there that God is using me to touch. I have to believe that I am going through this, so that way I can give hope to someone else when in the end they see that God sees me through.

I just want to be debt free. If there is anything that God could grant me, that would be my wish.

-

I wonder if maybe I am in this situation because without it, then maybe there would be no other way I would take the necessary path to get to the destination that God wants me to be at.

So, I have made a goal for myself for this year, and it is to help not only with our finances but to also change the mindset and the need of instant gratification.

My goal for the rest of this year: NO SHOPPING. 

I feel like so many times we don't even appreciate what we own and our need for new things is because we become consumed with the message that the world sends us on what we need to be gratified. That is also why I am doing the "Shoe Of The Day" section of my blog. It is a way to appreciate what I have and actually use all that I have in my wardrobe.

-

I also wonder if maybe this situation is here so that I can learn so much financially and help others. Maybe I will be the next budget queen and help others take steps to get themselves out of binds just like the ones I am in right now.

- 

Whatever the purpose of this is, I pray that God give me the strength to endure and that I not fail. I want to pass this test, and I can't wait for the day where I can share our victories and look back on this and glorify God in how he helped us over come.

Well, thank you for letting me be real.

xo,

N

Vince Camuto

Todays shoes are some of my all time favorites. I love beige and I love sparkle, so naturally I fell in love with these when I came across them.

What's not to love?

xo 

N

Gianni Bini

Today's shoe for the day is from Gianni Bini

I love the different pops of color and how the base of this shoe is a neutral grey. 

While taking pictures of these cuties I came to realize that I've had these shoes going on 4 years now. It makes my little fashion heart happy to know that I've taken such good care of them that they still look new.

If there is anything that I do and do right is take care of my things. I'm a firm believer that you should really take care of what you spend money on. After all, it's an investment! Especially when it comes to fashion.

Do you have closet classics that you have held on to that are still a closet hit? Share them with me. I would love to see what you have.

xo

N

Birthday Girl

It's my birthday today, and wow does it feel weird to believe I am already 24 years old. Time really does fly by so fast.

My son is one month old today, and it is amazing to see how fast time flies. He is already growing up so fast. I like to think that today we shared a special day together. It is amazing how fast and how hard you fall in love with your children when you have them. I couldn't imagine not having him in my life.

I ran into a journal with this cover on my little birthday adventure this morning at Barnes and Noble. It reminded me to only concentrate on the positive, and what better day to remind me than on my birthday.

I made it a point that today would consist of visits to my favorite places, so we took a trip down to our local farmers market. I had to take a pit stop at The Spring Roll Lady. She has the best Thai food I have ever tried and I can't get enough of her. Her Thai tea is also my favorite. Best $2 I could ever spend is on that addicting, delicious tea.

Pit stop number three: Spirit Winds. It is my favorite local coffee shop. Not only do they sell coffee, meals and desert but they also sell novelty items and beautifully handmade local jewelry and other artwork. Its one of my favorite places to browse and gather inspiration when I am looking to craft something new.

Pit stop number four: Western Traders. It is a local bead store that sells millions of different sorts of beads and precious stones. There are beads from wall to wall and I love going there. I gathered up these beauties for my next inspirational piece. I am thinking of making a nice statement necklace with these.

And I saved the best for last: Jimmy Johns. I absolutely love this place. My favorite thing on the menu: #12 Beach Club. I never stray away from this amazing sandwich. Nothing better than good food on such a special day. Right? Right.

And don't worry, I didn't forget. As promised here is my 

Shoe of The Day

These beautiful shoes are from Vera Wang. I love them because they are soft and feminine with a hint of fierce. 

They make such a statement that I can let them speak for themselves.

That's the sum of my day. How did yours go?

For now, its time for me to relax and enjoy the rest of my birthday. I feel that crafting is in store for me for tonight. 

xo,

N.H