I absolutely love how these pictures turned out! This is my third photoshoot with The Cultivated Lens and as per usual, there are some beautiful shots. 

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Today I thought I would switch things up a little bit and talk briefly about some of the pieces I'm wearing as well as reiterate some of the reasons why I started this blog... I felt like changing the focus of my writing today because I really want to stress to you two of the main messages of my blog: fashion is affordable and inner beauty is more important than outward beauty.

 

There are so many fashion blogs out there, the pages of which are filled with stunning clothing, jewelry, and shoes. Each piece is meticulously kept as though it's never been worn, each handbag and each pair of shoes costs a small fortune, and hair and makeup is executed by a team of professionals. I think you'll agree with me when I say that THAT is not what real life looks like. The everyday woman wears her clothes and shoes until they wear out and there is no hair and makeup team on standby. While I LOVE these blogs and follow several religiously, I don't presume that my life or my blog should be the same as theirs and it is not my end goal. I think that there are more than enough amazing blogs out there that create and showcase a fantasy, so when I created this blog I decided to do something different. 

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I have combined my love of fashion with writing based on my own personal journey towards inner beauty all in one place.

In case you were wondering why I always write about how to be a beautiful person inside instead of focusing on what brand I'm wearing, that is your answer. For the purpose of my blog I wanted to place more value on what a person looks like inside because I don't think the world does enough of that. While Beauty Spot challenges women to focus on inner beauty it also aims to inspire and encourage the everyday women when it comes to her closet. Maybe you don't have a budget and everything is at your fingertips - which is great! -  but I think for the majority of women most of your money is spent on the necessities and the important things in life: groceries, your children, education, the mortgage, living expenses, etc. You deserve to look and feel fabulous and with a little creativity you really can look great and stay on trend no matter what your budget is. 

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How do I do it? Thrift stores have come a LONG way over the years and it really is a thrill when you come across a piece that is beautiful and totally unique. But if thrift stores freak you out you still have plenty of options; you can wait for things to go on sale, you can try lower end stores like WalMart and Stitches, and there are some fantastic deals if you shop online - I really do believe that you can look great no matter what your budget is! The key is to get creative!

 

Now about how I got creative in putting together this outfit: 

 

This gorgeous faux fur coat is the real star of this outfit and it was a complete steal for just $30 at Winners!

Another great piece that I included in this post is the snowflake ring (pictured below). Over the years I've come across a lot of really cute and unique jewelry items while shopping at WalMart and this is no exception. The best part: it was only $5 dollars!

 

I think you'll agree that this outfit is beautiful. It was $51 dollars. I hope you're inspired to go out there and get creative!

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