multi-consultant sale!

Are you local to Houston? Within two hours?

Don't miss our multi-consultant sale coming up November 5, 2016!!!

LuLaRoe on a Budget- Capsule Closet Style- Maximizing your bang for your buck

Michala M's VIPs Guide to LuLaRoe on a Budget

"I LOVE LuLaRoe but it's so EXPENSIVE for just an outfit." I hear this phrase so often as a consultant. But as a total cheapskate myself, I get it. Spending $60 for a pair of leggings and a top that I only wear together was not my cup of tea either. As my blog name suggests, I'm a thrift-aholic. I LOVE getting a deal so I really struggled with the LuLaRoe price tags at first. I'm here to tell you now, you CAN have an adorable LLR wardrobe on a thrifty budget and I'm going to show you how. In this post, we will take 15 LuLaRoe items and create an entire wardrobe look out of them. We came up with 50+ outfits using just these 15 items and a few staple accesories....but first, a little background on how we got to this point....

I have this friend, whom I love dearly and whom I shall not name but she knows who she is....We shall call her Sally. Sally was like many other people when it came to clothing. She would buy outfits, a top, a bottom, jewelry, etc to all go together and then would only wear those pieces together. Sally and I started working on mixing up her wardrobe and would build new outfits out of what she already had. Sally really didn't need my help in this area as she is extremely fashionable on her own. Sally just needed someone to tell her it was ok to mix it up even thought she bought all those pieces to go together. Now, I'm no fashion expert, nor do I claim to have all the answers, I just pride myself on mixing and matching and trying not to wear the same things together twice (unless I'm pregnant and then I have like 5 outfits that fit- currently my situation.) This is something I really love to do and have always done in my own life....I'm thrilled to help others!

So, when I was in college and even when I first started teaching, I had this INSANELY huge closet stuffed full of all my super great discount finds. I prided myself on never paying retail for anything. I tried to keep shirts under $10 and pants under $20. I NEVER got rid of anything because I liked to mix it up and wear them other ways; I viewed everything in my closet as a "staple." Now, enter adult life, church, kids, work, etc. I found that I didn't have the kind of time to do the bargain hunting/shopping I used to do. And with kids, it is impractical to expect them to be patient while you forage through endless clearance racks to find pieces that can be used in the wardrobe. I realize that there are some people that do this...not me. I like to shop ALONE. And so I began paying retail for clothes because I needed them and only had an hour or so to shop without anyone else around. I would say I was spending a few hundred dollars every few months on clothes. Nothing too extravagant but ALL my clothes from my shopaholic days still fit...kind of. I had TONS of clothes but I was unhappy with them all.  And then I found the gloriousness of capsule closets. I first read about it here from Unfancy  and her Capsule Closet 101 post. Her number one tip that stuck out to me the most was "LOVE IT? Put it back in your closet." If you don't LOVE it, don't put it back- either put in a box and reevaluate another day or just donate it. I went through this process with my wardrobe after my first pregnancy and got rid of FOUR HUGE trash bags of clothes. I decided that life was too short to have all these clothes I may wear SOME day. We keep this same mentality in our house. If we aren't going to use it in the next three months, we don't need it. If the time comes when we do need it, we can go out and get it. No sense in storing things for the eventual MAYBE. Get it?

Ok, so what am I getting at with all this blabbering? Well, In January of this year, I found LuLaRoe. I got my first pair of leggings and an Irma and the rest is history. I'm now a consultant....haha isn't that how it goes? After I started really building my LuLaRoe wardrobe (you have to wear it to sell it) I got to thinking about how versatile the stuff is and how it can be worn so many ways. Then I got to thinking about capsuling with LuLaRoe. I also noticed that a lot of people commented on how expensive an outfit is....Well, when you buy one thing to go with another and never wear it another way, yes! It gets pricey if you only wear one shirt with one pair of leggings. So, my darling baby sister and I got to work. She's a fashion maven and pro photographer (she's in the process of re branding so her website is not currently up and running but you can check her out on Facebook for now)....Let's talk about making some meaningful purchases that will go a LONG way and help you expand your wardrobe further than you could have ever imagined.

My fashion blogger friend, Heather, over at Rock, Style, Teach talks a lot about formulas. She likes to use these formulas to create outfits that work well together. I'm going to ATTEMPT to give you a LuLaRoe Must Haves Formula to follow so you can get the most bang for your buck here. This formula could be used for someone just getting started with LuLaRoe or someone who is looking to make their pieces go further.

Capsule Closet with LuLaRoe
We used 15 pieces to build this wardrobe.

Qty	Style	Price	Total
1	Classic T	$35	$35
2	Perfect T	$36	$72
1	Randy	$35	$35
3	Irma	$35	$70
1	Lindsay Kimono	$48	$48
2	Cassie	$35	$70
1	Maxi	$42	$42
2	Nicole	$48	$96
2	Leggings	$25	$50
15	<Total Pieces		$518.00
Wardrobe Total>

For this capsule, we went with 7 shirts, a kimono, 3 skirts, 2 dresses, and 2 pairs of leggings. With that combo we came up with 55 outfits. We didn't take pictures of any of the outfits with the black leggings nor did we include them in the count of outfits as we felt they were pretty self explanatory, they could be worn with any of the pieces we included here so that could essentially increase the outfit count to over 100!  We could have done so many more outfits and combos but tried to limit ourselves for the sake of time. We included our FAVORITES in the image below just a little ways....

So the formula for this that I talked about earlier would be: (please remember that this is a GENERAL idea- it is not the end all be all! :) )

15 Piece MUST HAVES FORMULA 

• 1 pair of patterned leggings with lots of colors or with a neutral that goes with a lot. We chose the purply magenta color and it went with all the shirts we chose!
• 1 pair of solid black leggings- because everyone NEEDS these.
• 2 solid shirts (black and white)
• 2 striped shirts- one that we chose (Irma) was more of a brown tone and the other was black and white
• 2 "pops of color" shirts that go with your leggings
• 2 Cassies- 1 solid that coordinates with your colors and 1 neutral colored pattern (black and white)
• 2 Nicoles- 1 solid black and 1 pattern that coordinates with the colors you have chosen
• 1 Lindsay- in a neutral color and pattern (stripes are a safe bet) 
• 1 Randy- We opted for black and white
• 1 Maxi- Cheetah print is a really awesome pattern that is easy to pattern mix. ;) Pretty sure everyone needs this skirt in their closet!

Also used that I didn't include in the 15 piece count-
1 Sutton Necklace from Stella and Dot. This piece is a MUST have. I wear it at least once a week. :)
It for real goes with everything....

1 Stella and Dot Necklace that has been discontinued :( This Belle Necklace would be a cute alternative!
1 Thin black belt
1 Thick Black belt
1 Brown belt

And now...the OUTFITS!

For close ups of each outfit, please join my Facebook Group and look under the Albums for OUTFIT IDEAS

Now, let's look at the Maxi. This, in my opinion is one of the most versatile pieces that LuLaRoe offers. There are TONS of Youtube videos that show you all the different ways you can style it. Some of them are a bit out there for me but I have included some of my favorites below: 

Maxi with Classic using the "hairtie trick"

Maxi as a Dress

Maxi with Lindsay

Maxi with Perfect

Maxi with Randy

Maxi with Irma as Halter

Maxi with Cassie as Shirt

Maxi with Classic Shirt and Cassie as Scarf

Maxi as a Dress

Maxi as a Kimono with Leggings and Classic T

My new favorite- LEGGINGS AS A SCARF! With Cassie and Classic T!

As I said, this is just a general idea of how to style some basic LuLaRoe pieces. Getting started with LuLaRoe can be incredibly overwhelming with knowing how to start. Happy Roeing!

All jewelry used in this production was from Stella and Dot-
My friend, fashion style blogger, and also soon to be LuLaRoe Consultant,  Heather Lindenmeyer is a great stylist to help you out with styling needs! :)

You can shop her Stella and Dot HERE
You can also join her VIP shopping group on Facebook HERE

Because I LOVE LuLaRoe and want to share with you all, I have created a HUGE give away that will last for the rest of the month of July....

a Rafflecopter giveaway

LuLaLINGO- What is this LuLaRoe stuff everyone is talking about? And WHAT is with the secret language of its followers?

Below you will find a complete list of LULAROE Lingo for those of you new to the club! (Or for those of us who could just use a giggle!)

Please comment if I have missed any! :) I will update. 

Random thought: I am a cloth diapering, crunchy mama who struggled with the Cloth diapering lingo when I first started. I feel like LuLaRoe is SUPER similar to that community! :) 


LuLaRoe: also known in short as LLR - 

The most amazingly comfortable yet flattering women's wear you can find on the market and in super limited prints. Every consultant sells different Items. The current line through LLR consists of Dresses, Tops, Skirts, Leggings, Kid's Skirts, Kid's Leggings, Kid's Shirts, Work out pants, and Kimonos. And they all have super CUTE Names!!! If you want to see what is available, head to the LLR website- LuLaRoe.com

Dresses: 
Ana
Amelia
DotDotSmile Lucy (Sleeves and Sleevless)
Julia
Nicole

Skirts:
Azure
Cassie
Jill
Kids Cassie and Azure
Lola
Lucy
Madison
Maxi

Shirts:
Classic
Gracie
Irma
Perfect
Sloan

Kimonos:
Monroe
Lindsay

Leggings:
Come in One Size, Tall and Curvy, Kids S/M and L/XL and Tween

Work Out Pants:
Jade
Jordan 

LuLaLover or LuLaLovies - 

Someone who has joined the LuLaCult and is equally as obsessed as the rest of us. There must be a term to refer to our fellow cult members! We are all addicts just looking for our next fix. The thrill of the hunt/fast paced selling of items and the comfort is what got me addicted! I tried on my first pair of leggings and it was all over from there. Cassie is also my girl!!! 

VIP Facebook Groups-

This is how most people shop for their LuLaRoe. They belong to about 12309481203984 groups for LLR and know what night of the week each group is having a party. 

In case anyone is wondering....the link to my VIP is here: NEXT PARTY 5/15/2016

https://www.facebook.com/groups/lularoeMichalaMsVIPs/

Usually, the group admin posts images in photo albums by size and then LuLaLovers can comment SOLD on the items they want to buy. When they are done shopping, they can request their invoice be sent to them by filling out a Google Form.

LuLaLoot- 

The haul or pretties you get to take home (or get in the mail) after you have cleared out a LLR party. 

#HowIRoe- 

a Hashtag used by LuLaLovers to show other LuLaLovers their OOTD (More on this later), seek pattern mixing advice (more later), or to just let everyone know they are Roeing (more later). This is also a group on Facebook where LuLaLovers share in all great things LLR.

Roeing- 

The act of wearing an article (or several) of LuLaRoe clothing greatness...Just don't look this up on Urban Dictionary...or do if you could use a laugh. HA.

OOTD- 

Shortened version of "Outfit of the Day" a lot of LuLaLover post their outfits for the day with the hashtag #OOTD.

TC- Tall and Curvy-

This is a size of BUTTERY SOFT LEGGINGS. Fits sizes 12-22

OS- One Size-

Another size of BUTTERY SOFT LEGGINGS (Seriously. If you haven't felt them, you NEED TO!)

ISO- "I Seek Out" or "In Search of"- 

Used in social media when people are looking for something VERY specific.

Unicorn- 

Your MUST have piece. A print that you have fallen madly in love with and must have. You would trade your first born for it. (well, maybe not quite that dramatic but many women would pay big bucks) Please note, it is not advised that you pay OVER retail for any piece. No consultant should ever be selling LLR for over MAP values.

Everyone has a different "Unicorn" that they are searching for but here are some of the more popular unicorns! 

BST- Buy Sell Trade- 

Usually a Facebook group where you can buy, sell, or trade your LLR goods!

Destash- When someone has acquired entirely too much LLR (Can you EVER have TOO much?) and decides to "Destash" or sell off some of their "Stash" this is usually done in a BST Group (see above) or in something similar.

 

LuLa in the Wild- 

When a fellow LuLaLover spots someone (they DON'T KNOW) out in public, wearing LuLaRoe. Sometimes this culminates in a stalker photo that they post to a Facebook group to share their excitement with other LuLaLovies!

EUC- 

Excellent used condition. Some die hard fanatics take it even further and say EEEUC...Still haven't figured out what this means!!!

"Shipped"- 

Used in BST Groups when people are selling. Usually they list a price that says "Shipped" This means that the price includes shipping.

Roe'd- 

Past tense of Roeing. Used when you post a picture of your outfit later on. #HowIRoed

Queuebie- 

An obsessed LuLaLover who has taken the leap of faith and signed up to sell LuLaRoe. Because of the explosion in popularity, there is a Queue with over 5,000 people waiting to onboard with the company. Yea, it's that great and people are that IN LOVE!!! :)

Pop-Up- 

A personal shopping boutique that comes to you! LLR is sold exclusively through Pop-Ups. These are done either online (On Facebook) or in Someone's home! By hosting a pop-up, the hostess earns FREE LULAGOODIES! Interested in Hosting a pop-up?

Email me at LuLaRoeMichalaMcWhirter@gmail.com

Every TEN pieces that sell, you get ONE FREE (no exclusions!) 

ROTD- 

This is the newest one I have seen. "Roe of the Day" Similar to OOTD.

Mommy and Me- 

Matching Roe for you and the littles. Um, can we just say ADORABLE? And yes, boys can wear it too!



So, have you hopped on the LuLaRoe bandwagon yet? If the answer is no....WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? I literally woke up this morning and thought "I don't want to wear anything but pajamas today...." So I threw on some leggings and a Nicole. I am SO comfortable!

BUY ALL THE LULAROE!!! and JUST IN CASE you need a link to shop:

....the link to my VIP is here: NEXT PARTY 5/15/2016

https://www.facebook.com/groups/lularoeMichalaMsVIPs/

What is your unicorn? What is your favorite LLR piece? What was your FIRST LLR piece that started the addiction?

Goodwill, I love you.

I think it is safe to say that Goodwill has become one of my favorite stores. When I decide I have too much junk, I can just take it to them and they will take care of it for me. When I decide I need more junk, they usually have some great finds. There is a Goodwill on like every block here in Houston. I love it! When I used to work at RECON, my good friend Sheri and I would take our lunch breaks and go to Goodwill down the street from work. That store, is one of the best Goodwills we have ever found. For a while, on a weekly basis, we were buying enough stuff to fill BOTH of our SUVs. We would have to come after work to load up the second car! The ladies there knew us and would "y'all back to fill up them cars again?" It was awesome. I have since changed jobs and Sheri and I haven't been able to go for quite some time...which is fine. Because I have SEVERAL gems still stashed away waiting for me to finish them up!

When we moved to Houston, we sold pretty much all of our furniture. Since it cost so much to move, we've been trying to save and catch up on some finances so furniture kind of hit the back burner...especially when we started pricing TV stands(none of which were what I wanted) and they were something crazy, like $400+...not. going. to. happen. So, we made do...As my MIL put it, this is college style here:

To say I was unhappy with it is an understatement. My blankets were never put away, we had nowhere to put our DVDs and games, and we have remotes and cords all over the place. It was time for a change....I had a dresser in mind for quite some time for this project...it was just a matter of finding the perfect one and completing it. And I happened to find one at Goodwill back in May/June sometime. 

Since I am off work and have had lots of help lately, I thought it would be a perfect time to spruce up this AMAZING dresser I bought at Goodwill a while back. Getting this sucker in my car was interesting. It is HEAVY!!! I saw some serious potential with this guy and just knew I had to have it. I paid $60 for the dresser and mirror. Great deal! 

I had a vision for this beast but it was so intimidating that I was reluctant to get started. I scoured the internet for information on how to do what I wanted. I wanted to remove the middle drawers and turn them in to shelves to put our TV components on! Well, there are lots of before and after pics but not many people did a tutorial on how to do it...and I now know why. Each dresser is different. The drawer stops are in different places, braces are not the same, etc...so a tutorial is kind of difficult when no two people will redo the same dresser in the same way. I had to just look at what I had and figure it out. Luckily, my dad is REALLY good at this and he helped me out! :) We took the drawer glides out, cut a piece of thin MDF board to fit, and glued it in! Easy enough!!!

First off, the piece had to be sanded. My mother-in-law did that for me. She must have been bored to tears or something...who actually CHOOSES to sand something?! Ugh, I HATE sanding. But every furniture blog I've read says that it's a must. This dresser had also been horribly painted and it needed to be stripped.

These drawers have an indention in the center (inside the trim) and I thought it would be SUPER cute if this was upholstered or something so I had MIL leave those unsanded....I can't imagine how awful it would have been to try to get in that small space. AH!

Next up, paint and primer. i primed it with the Valspar High Hiding Primer since I decided to paint it white and the whole thing is pretty dark. Notice my shelves now in!!!:

After priming, I went ahead and did two coats of Valspar Semi-Glossy paint...I can't remember the name of the color and am too lazy to go look so....we'll just call it off-white! :) You can see in the picture where my mom was testing out the upholtery "pillow" she made to put in the inside portion of the drawer front. Also, as I was taking this picture, I realized that I didn't paint enough of the back board and had to go redo that...plus I decided the sides of the drawers needed painting. UGH!!!

And finally....all that y'all really care about...The  finished beauty.  I'm so in love!!! :)

 The fabric on the drawer fronts matches these lamps  that I blogged about redoing a few years ago...I still love them! :)

I ended up putting drawer pulls on the drawers to give the pillow a tufted look; I'm super happy with the results! 

Up close of the drawer. I still have to super glue the pillow down...but I was just TOO excited to brag about my new piece!!!! Hopefully I can get my breakfast table out in the garage this weekend and get to painting that next!!! I think I have a painting addiction... Or, an addiction to the satisfaction I get when finishing a project and it turns out better than the vision I had of it to begin with!

Before:

After:

And a cute baby picture to finish it off:

Thanks to all my awesome family that helped me get it done! I couldn't have finished it without ya!

xoxoxox