Nice to "Meet and Greet" Lindsey.

Welcome to a New "Meet and Greet". Today's Guest is Lindsey from High Heels and Training Wheels. She has only been blogging for a few months and I happened to find her blog suddenly, through a link-up. At the time, her Style was very Simple and she had just started to come out of her comfort zone. Another thing that attracted me to her blog was the name of the blog. Very appealing and appropriate for a Stay-at-Home Mom of 3 young children. The most amazing thing about Lindsey's Style is that she always looks Chic, Casual and Effortless on such Inexpensive, Thrifty finds. Her stores of choice are Wal Mart, Forever 21, Target and such. But looking at her outfits you would never guess that. So enjoy her interview and I hope you can learn something from it too - I certainly did. She has some Great Advise for Women on a Budget and for Moms, especially.

1. Introduce yourself in 2 sentences. Introduce your blog in 2 sentences. Why did you name your blog the way you did?

I'm Lindsey. I'm a married mom of 3, determined to break out of the "mommiform". My blog High Heels and Training Wheels is primarily style and beauty, the frugal way. I try to focus mainly on how to be thrifty and save money and still feel good about yourself. My life is a balance between being a woman and being a mom...a balance between "high heels" and "training wheels", if you will and that's where the name comes from.

2. Why did you start your blog & when did you start it?

I started my blog in March 2013. I'm still a newbie. My purpose in blogging was to let other moms, who are like myself, see that you can feel great about yourself even if you don't have a lot of money. I wasted too many years thinking I couldn't do it and blogging helps me stay motivated by sharing what I've learned and how I've grown.

3. What is your Everyday Work Dress Code?

Well, I'm a student so my "dress code" is a little more lax than if I were in the working field. I'm still growing and evolving in terms of personal style and I haven't really set a "code" for myself. I'm experimenting and trying new things all the time to really learn what I feel best in.

4. What Colors do you incorporate more in your wardrobe & which ones do you stay away from and why?

I don't know if it's really a conscious choice to include or exclude any particular color in my wardrobe. With that said, I have very little blue and I'm working to include more. I tend to stay away from bright colors in general and I'm trying to get over my aversion.

5. What are some of your favorite accessories & how do you use/wear them?

I have a zillion pairs of flats and sandals! I'm slowly adding more heels and wedges into the mix but my comfortable shoes are always my fall-back.

6. What is currently missing from your closet or what do you like to add to your closet & why?

Well, more heels are one. I'm also looking to add more "dressier" pieces. That mommiform I was talking about? It included strictly comfortable and casual pieces and that's all I had to build on. Skirts and dresses and blazers are things I'm looking for now.

7. Do you have a Monthly Budget, if so, how much is it?

No! And I'll tell you why. If I set myself a budget I would probably buy more trying to meet that amount instead of staying under it. I don't generally buy a single item over $20 and even then, I have to REALLY love it. I try to keep my outfit totals somewhere around $30 and I'm usually pretty good about it because of all the thrift shopping I do. Thrifting opened up an entirely new world for me and really changed the way I viewed shopping.

8. What are some of your most favorite stores or brands, including shoes?

Well, thrift stores are my favorite. There is something so exciting about going on the hunt and finding that one gem. Brands I really like though are pretty inexpensive to begin with. I have a lot of Old Navy, Forever 21, Target and WALMART (yes, Walmart!) clothes. You learn to get creative when you have such limited funds.

9. What have you yet not done in your blog but you want to? 

I would love to have guest posts and I actually have a couple in the works! The biggest inspiration for me, when I started my blog, was other bloggers. There are a few that absolutely changed my world in how I look at my personal style and I would love for them to share some of the inspiration on my blog.

10. Your blog has grown the most & so quickly out of many of the newer blogs I have seen. You got over 200 followers really quickly, already, Lindsey. How do you work into growing your blog?

Oh, wow. I honestly have NO idea how it happened!! I am astounded everyday by the ladies who come to my blog and all of the kind words they leave. As far as taking action into getting my blog out there, I really just tried to connect with other bloggers who I wanted my blog to be like. I made a real effort to leave sincere, genuine comments to show my appreciation of what they do, none of that "Hey I'd love it if you would follow me back!" or "Want to follow each other?". It's about the connection and relationships, not the numbers. I think it's very easy to spot a phony. These people are your community, not your competition. And link-ups!! Link ups and blog hops give people a reminder that you exist. 

11. Below include 7-8 different outfits you have worn so far that you have loved & give some quick explanations for each.

All of these are pretty recent and the reason is because I feel like I'm just starting to come into my own and really take pride in what I'm wearing.

1. I love this look because it was the first time it was effortless for me to come up with an outfit and I felt super "cool"

2. I love this one because it's an equal mix of casual and dressy. Makes it versatile and that's the name of the game for me.

3. This one I am proud of because the entire outfit, head-to-toe was only $16! AND it is another one of my Walmart finds.

4. It was so much fun to wear this one. I don't usually have occasion to get dressed up and I love the unexpected pop of pink.

5. This one was another that gave me that "cool" feeling. It was the first time I embraced a heel being made casual.

6. This one was special to me because it was the day I stepped out of my comfort zone and finally started saying "Who cares?? I'm going to wear what I want!" Embracing my individualism rather than feeling a need to conform is so liberating!

7. This one is a little older. It was the first time I ever took part in a trend...many trends at that. Colored denim, chambray AND leopard print.

8. This one I really embraced color. You can't get much more colorful than an orange printed dress!

12. What is one last thing you want to say to anyone who reads this?

The biggest lessons I have learned in these 3 short months is that confidence is golden, you don't have to be rich, and even moms deserve to look nice. 

• Be confident in who you are and what you're wearing! Dress for who you are and the style you have. Dress for yourself and not for anyone else. Be comfortable and confident in who you are and how you want to present yourself. This took me 28 years to learn and I'm still working on it.
• You do not have to have a lot of money to look nice!! Money should never hold you back from feeling good about the way you look. Having a comfortable income is nice but it isn't completely necessary. Don't let it hold you back!
• And moms, listen up: You are not selfish or in any way less of a parent if you spend time on yourself!! I wasted a lot of time thinking my years were over and sweatpants are just what moms wore. Don't waste the time I did! When you look good, you feel good and when you feel good, you're a better person...mom included! Be the fabulous woman you are no matter your status!

I also want to say thank you, thank you to Ada! A good number of followers is great but having someone acknowledge you and say "Hey I like what you're about" is awesome! Thank you so much for thinking to include me, it was so much fun! Stop by and visit me at High Heels and Training Wheels!



P.S. Let me know through the comments if you want to be part of this series where I will have you introduce yourself and your blog through a Guest Post. The questions are the same for everyone. All you got to do is 1) follow my blog and 2) your blog should be fairly new, from 2012 and forth. So if you have been blogging since January 2012 or later, this is a great opportunity for you to showcase your blog and perhaps gain some new readers & followers along the way. If you decide YES, we will talk via E-Mail. Thanks. =)