this or that: in which I provide answers to common "one or the other" scenarios.

Before I get started, I am under no illusion that my every thought and opinion matters to anyone but me. I was just lying around last night thinking about this, and I was wondering how many other people had super strong opinions about things that aren't super important (see: Coke v Pepsi). So don't expect any deep thoughts.

Coke or Pepsi?

Coke. All day, every day. Pepsi is a garbage drink. Whenever I ask for Coke in a restaurant and the server asks if Pepsi is ok, I order something else. Pepsi is NOT ok. It will never be a substitution for Coke, so quit asking.

Red or green tractors?

Red, obviously. This is a very divisive topic amongst farm families across the Midwest. Though I am not a farmer in any sense of the word, my dad is. He had red tractors, so I will be planted firmly on the Case IH side until the day I die.

Cats or dogs?

Love them both. Truly, I do. At this stage in my life, though, I am truly a cat person. We have three cats that require very little maintenance, which is essential for life with a six-month-old. Someday, I hope to be in the life position to get a dog (when Phineas is older, perhaps), but right now, I truly appreciate that all our cats need are snuggles and a piece of string for playtime.

Star Trek or Star Wars?

Neither. Don't hate me.

Pancakes or waffles?

Tough one. I'm going to cop out and say it depends. My dad's waffles are the best waffles you will ever have, so every other waffle is disappointing. I love a good yeast pancake. I love breakfast in general.

Morning person or night owl?

Night. 100%. I am the worst morning person you will ever meet. Don't talk to me before 8am.

Summer or winter?

Honestly, who even chooses winter? Especially not around here.

Book or movie?

I'm a librarian. Next question.

Superman or Batman?

Batman. Easy. Batman has the best villains and the best story line. Batman has no superpowers - just strength, cool gadgets, and a chip on his shoulder.

Google or Bing?

Come on.

Frozen yogurt or ice cream?

Ice cream. Frozen yogurt isn't really a thing in the Midwest, land of dairy. Yes, yogurt is dairy, but we Midwesterners prefer our dairy with as much fat as possible. 

Fruits or vegetables?

Overall, I am a fruit person. (Except melons. Melons are bullshit.) I am fond of carrots, corn, peppers, and green beans, but anything else can stay away. Give me a big bowl of fruit any day.

McDonalds or Burger King?

Anymore, neither. McDonalds does have an excellent breakfast, though, so I would choose them. When I was a kid, Burger King had the best toys in their kids' meals. However, their food has always been inferior.

Sandals or sneakers?

Sandals, for sure. I avoid wearing socks whenever I can, and sneakers require socks. Socks remind me of winter and cold. I generally wear sandals April through September, save for the guaranteed April blizzards.

Mountains or beach?

Though I love them both, I am a water person through-and-through. Beach every time.

Laundry or dishes?

I would use disposable plates for the rest of my life if that wasn't so wasteful. I will always choose laundry over dishes.

Pen or pencil?

Pen. I haven't used a pencil since high school.

Beer or wine?

Depends on the beer. Depends on the wine. Depends on what I'm eating. Depends on what I'm doing. 

Lake or pool?

I grew up swimming in Lake Poinsett, so I appreciate the sun and sand. I don't mind that your swimsuit gets green or that you may run across lake creatures as you swim. It's natural and awesome. Chlorine makes me feel gross.

Apple or Android?

Apple 4ever. Androids have the weirdest and least user-friendly interface. I will NEVER SWITCH.

Coffee or tea?

Coffee. Preferably espresso.

Did I miss anything super important? Let me know :)

ten outfits under $35, part XV.

I hope you're ready for another round of outfits under $35! WARNING: I have discovered Poshmark, so there will be plenty to keep these outfits coming. I have also had to revamp my wardrobe because of my new post-pregnancy body, so I've really been on the hunt for deals lately.

You'll notice more shorts than usual - to my dismay, I found out almost NONE of my shorts from last summer fit. So I went on a short-buying spree. You won't find me in anything but shorts on weekends; it's been so stinking hot. Plus, I run warm, and I turn into a useless mess when I'm too hot. So shorts were an absolute necessity.  

As always, I have included the links to my other cheap outfit blogs, going all the way back to 2013. If you're interested:

$40 or less
$30 or less
under $35, part I
under $35, part II
under $35, part III
under $35, part IV
under $35, part V
under $35, part VI 
under $35, part VII
under $35, part VIII
under $35, part IX

under $35, part X  
under $35, part XI 

under $35, part XII 
under $35, part XIII
under $35, part XIV

So here we go: ten outfits under $35, part XV!

shirt – Arm the Animals – $9

shorts – Modcloth – $20.99

shoes – DSW – FREE! (buy one pair of sandals, get another free)

bracelet – Etsy – about $5 for supplies

TOTAL: $34.99

So there's this amazing shirt company called Arm the Animals where you can get TONS of cheap shirts featuring animals with weapons. This is far from the last shirt of theirs you'll see on this blog. And I have to stay something about these shorts: WHY are we still wearing jean shorts? They are hot AF and they constrict your legs. I am a full supporter of these flowy-type shorts, and I am about ready to send all of my jean shorts packing. A note about the drink I'm holding: it's gin, lemonade, and lavender syrup. Highly recommended. (And my face is an indication of how my day was going... that, and the extra gin I put in that drink.)

dress – Modcloth – $34.97 (final sale)

booties – DSW – FREE! (was $80, had coupons/discounts)

Scandinavian earrings – gift from Mom and Dad

TOTAL: $34.97

I will forever swear by Modcloth's final sale events. This dress was originally something like $150, and I paid just a fraction of that. It fits like a dream and has pockets. I don't have a ton of dresses that fit me post-pregnancy, but luckily, I bought this dress WHILE I was pregnant and sized up. Good job, pregnant Calla. It's hard to see my earrings, but they are so neat. They're traditional Scandinavian earrings, complete with the little dishes. Look it up sometime; it's very cool.

sweater – Poshmark – FREE! (had stains, seller said to keep)

pants – Poshmark – $22

booties – DSW – FREE! (was $80, had coupons/discounts)

earrings – Etsy – about $7 for supplies

TOTAL: $29.46

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Poshmark, let me give you a quick primer. You buy and sell used and new clothes, accessories, makeup, and homewear. When you sell an item, you don't get the money until the buyer "accepts" the purchase. Poshmark doesn't allow returns or refunds unless something is totally wrong with the item, and a return request has to go through a review process. I bought this sweater and found it was covered in stains (chocolate? mud?) that were not shown in the photos or mentioned in the description. I opened a case, and Poshmark found in my favor and refunded the money. The seller felt so bad that she told me just to keep the sweater. My mom managed to get the stains out (Moms are magic), so I have a free sweater! These pants are also from Poshmark. I used to have them in a smaller size and LOVED them... but alas, I am not that small any more. So I found the same pants in a bigger size. Poshmark is a drug.

shirt – Lucky Day – $22

shorts – FREE! (gift from Mom)

sandals – Amazon – $11.05 (super cheap + 5% discount)

TOTAL: $33.05

I got this amazing shirt from an occasional store called the Lucky Day sale. It's in a massive and beautiful barn near Lake Norden, South Dakota. Every time I go, I find so many things I can't live without. My mom found these shorts for me - they are the kind that doesn't wrinkle or stain and are perfect for summer. These sandals are Sanuks, so they're incredibly comfortable and kind of expensive. However, for some reason unknown to me, these were WAY on sale on Amazon (plus my Prime 5% discount). 

shirt – Lucy Ave – FREE! (buy one get one sale)

jeans – AE – $29.97 (40% off)

wedges – DSW – FREE! (was $90, all sorts of coupons/discounts)

earrings – Etsy – about $5 for supplies

TOTAL: $34.97

In my last post, I talked about the online boutique called Lucy Avenue and the amazing buy-one-get-one-free sales they have from time to time. This shirt was the product of one such sale. I have been kind of into jeans with shredded bottoms lately - a fun detail in otherwise not-so-interesting jeans. The earring are hard to see, but they're made of blue tiger eye, which is just gorgeous.

shirt – Flagship – $15

shorts – Target – $8.26 (5% off, $10 Honey card, Target Circle $)

sandals – Amazon – $11.05 (super cheap + 5% discount)

ring – gift from Mom/Grandma

TOTAL: $34.31

There is a store in Duluth called Flagship, and it's full of fun Lake Superior-themed shirts. James and I were there for its grand opening last year and each got one of these shirts. It's hard to read, but it says "be great, not salty." The little ring I'm wearing is an aquamarine stone from my grandma Lorraine's collection. Aquamarine is the birthstone for March, which covers Grandma Lorraine, my mom, and now Phineas.

shirt – Lucy Avenue – $14.70 (clearance + 30% off)

jeans – Poshmark – $10

booties – DSW – FREE! (was $80, had coupons/discounts)

earrings – Etsy – about $9 for supplies

TOTAL: $33.70

Here's another Lucy Avenue find, except this came from the clearance section. Just like I'm a sucker for embroidery, I'm a sucker for peplum and eyelet. My jeans have a super fun tuxedo stripe on them, and my earrings are made of the loveliest amazonite stones.

 

shirt – Poshmark – $8

shorts – FREE! (gift from Mom)

Birkenstocks – $23.75 ($50 Honey coupon + 5% off)

bracelet – Sedona/Etsy – about $2 for supplies

TOTAL: $33.75

First of all: how cool is our balcony?! This shirt is a Target brand shirt that I found on Poshmark. I used to have a shirt just like it, but in a different color and a smaller size. When I outgrew that shirt (thanks a lot, pregnancy), I took to Poshmark to find a replacement. These shorts were also a gift from Mom, like the green shirts a few pictures back. They're the same amazing material, as well. Also, have you ever used Honey? It's a browser add-on that finds you coupons and gives you cash back on certain sites. I once got a $50 Amazon gift card from using Honey and spent it on these Birkenstocks. My bracelet is made of a small turquoise stone my sister bought at a rock shop in Sedona. Sedona is a weird place, but wow, is it beautiful.

sweatshirt – Closet Revival (RI consignment shop) – $20

jeans – AE – $12.96 (30% off + $15 off reward)

boots – TOMS – FREE! (post office lost)

pearl collar necklace – gift from Mom/Grandma

TOTAL: $32.96

This super fun sweatshirt came from a consignment store in Providence, Rhode Island. Mom and I visited there when I was five months pregnant, so I bought this in hopes I'd be able to fit in it one day. And lo and behold: I can! My necklace is one of my absolute favourite pieces from my grandma Lorraine's jewelry collection. It's so delicate and classy, and it's so cool that it was hers.

dress – Lucy Avenue FREE! – (buy one get one free)

Birkenstocks – $23.75 ($50 Honey coupon + 5% off)

wood and aquamarine earrings – Lucky Day/Etsy – about $11 for supplies

TOTAL: $34.75

Yes, ANOTHER Lucy Avenue deal. This dress is so twirly and fun; I can't get over it. These earrings were purchased from the same Lucky Day sale as my "Midwest is best" shirt from a few photos ago. I added the aquamarine stones, and we have the completed product.

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That's it for this round! Stay tuned for episode XVI... I've already got a few outfits planned!