Balling on a Budget: Summer in the City!

Everyone that knows me knows that one of my personal mantras is "balling on a budget." What is balling on a budget you ask? I define balling on a budget as getting the most value and having the most experiences in life that you can manage within your means and for the best deal possible! I have always been a frugal, thrifty shopper, and have always sought to get the biggest bang for my buck! My mother taught me well, by her utilization of coupons and bargain shopping. But ever since I started living on my own in 2009, I have taken this concept to a whole 'nother level. It has become a way of life for me, from trips to clothes shopping, from dining out to fun activities around town. I'm always seeking to make my money stretch while still enjoying life. Through this "principle" I have managed to learn about fun happenings around town that are free, or as close to free as possible. Let's face it, we all want to have a good time while not going broke. What also helps this cause is that St. Louis is chock-full of great activities and venues that are low in price or even free! I'd like to share with you some select fun activities going on this Summer in our fair city of St. Louis. And stay tuned, I'll have more free/cheap events to come!

Happening This Weekend: 
Chesterfield Wine and Jazz Festival 
When: Saturday June 27, 2015 3pm to 10:30pm
Where: Chesterfield Ampitheater, 631 Veteran's Place Dr, Chesterfield, MO 63017
Price: FREE 
What is it: This is an outdoor music festival featuring musicians including Eric Person and Meta-Four, and chart-topping classical/jazz artists Bach to the Future. There will be a variety of local wine and food vendors, and fireworks.  Remember to bring your lawn chairs or blanket, and no outside food or beverages allowed (don't say I didn't warn you).

Whitaker Music Festival
When: Wednesdays from June 24th through July 29th from 7:30pm to 9:30pm
Where: Missouri Botanical Gardens, Cohen Amphitheater, 344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63110
Price: FREE
What is it: Evening Outdoor concert series with musicians in a wide range of musical genres. Picnicking is permitted after 5pm. Outside food and beverages are permitted and food and beverages are available for purchase on site. No pets, barbecue grills or smoking. Free admission after 5pm. Music begins at 7:30pm. Last entry at 9pm. For additional info and artist lineup, go to www.mobot/org/events/whitaker .

Missouri Botanical Gardens Free Admission for STL City/County Residents
When: Wednesday Mornings and Saturday Mornings before Noon.
Where: Missouri Botanical Gardens, 344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63110
Price: FREE*
What is it: If you have never been to the Missouri Botanical Gardens, you have to go! This is one of the best attractions in St. Louis. The Gardens feature a variety of gardens including a Childrens Garden, Japanese Garden, and Victorian Garden. For people looking for a nice landscape to do their walking for fitness purposes, it's hard to find a place better than this. The normal admission rates are $8 for adults ages 13 and up, $4 for St. Louis City/County Residents adults age 13 - 64, and $3 for senior St. Louis City/County Residents age 65 and up. Right now, the Gardens are exhibiting their Lantern Festival. I must admit the lanterns are beautiful in the daytime, but to get the full experience, you probably will have to see them at night, which is $22 admission for non-members. And no, before you ask, the lanterns are not lit during the Whitaker Music Concerts. Trust me, I already looked into that. The Lantern Festival ends August 23, 2015.

*The free admission is only available to STL City/County Residents on Wednesday and Saturday Mornings before noon.

The Muny
When: June 15th through August 16th, Performances Start at 8:15pm
Where: The Muny, 1 Theatre Drive, St. Louis, MO 63112 (Inside Forest Park)
Price Free and $14 - $87 for paid tickets
What is it: The Muny is an outdoor theater that features six popular musicals. This year's season includes: My Fair Lady (June 15th - June 21st), Hairspray (Happening Now) (June 23th - June 30th), Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn (July 6th - July 12th), Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (July 13th - July 19th), Into the Woods (One of my personal faves) (July 21st - July 27th), Beauty and the Beast (July 29th - August 7th), and Oklahoma! (August 10th - August 16th). Now here's the deal with the Muny, there are free seats behind the paid seats in amphitheater. The view from these seats is not bad, just remember to bring your binoculars if you like to see a lot of detail on the stage. Now, that being said, although the view from these seats is not bad, I will say that the paid seats are slightly more roomy than the free seats. In that I'm a taller person (I'm 5'9 1/2"), I can personally tell you that there is more leg room in the paid seats than there are in the free seats. However, you can't beat seeing well acted musical theater in an open-air theater for free. The way that I usually do the Muny is if it's a play that I really want to see and want to see comfortably, then I pay for my ticket, but if it's a production that I'm kind of luke-warm about then I go see it for free. It's still wonderful that they give you the option whether to pay or not. I also must add that technically, the programs for the plays are meant for the paid customers, but I will say that I have always managed to get a program with my free seat during the admission. (Shhhh you didn't hear that from me...) The gates to the free seats open at 7:00pm each evening. Lines for the free seats begin forming as early as 4:00 pm. The lines are usually long so you may want to get there at least by 5:30pm/6ish to get a good free seat. And also, remember to bring a fan!!!!! It gets hot out there!


Jungle Boogie Friday Night Concert Series 
When: Fridays, from May 22nd through August 28th, from 5pm to 8pm (Exhibits open until 7pm)
Where: St. Louis Zoo in the Schnuck Family Plaza, 1 Government Drive, St. Louis, MO 63110
Price: FREE 
What is it: Jungle Boogie is a concert series that takes place every Friday night, except June 19th and July 3rd, in the Summer that feature various local groups. It's great for families, and kid-friendly. For more information and the concert lineup, go to http://www.stlzoo.org/events/calendarofevents/jungleboogie.


SLAM Underground
When: The Last Friday of every month, from 7pm to 10pm
Where: St. Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts Dr, Forest Park, St. Louis, MO 63110
Price: FREE 
What is it: SLAM Underground is a monthly event that features collection tours, a cash-bar, DIY art projects, and live music! Every month's event features a different theme and different activities. So if you and your friends want to get into something outside of the norm on a Friday night, be sure to check out SLAM Underground for a more artistic and fun way to kick it!


Timeless Free Favorites: St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum, St. Louis Science Center

Things I'm Currently Obsessed With: PURPLE!!!!

One of the hottest colors this Spring/Summer 2015 has been a variety of shades of purple, and I must say that I'm loving it! I have found myself gravitating toward every shade of lilac, lavender, and orchid this year. From literally head to toe, it seems everyone is loving the color. Here are a few of my favorite purple things I have procured so far this year. Enjoy!

NAILS

First we'll start with nails. This is me wearing "Play Date" by Essie. I can't tell you how many times I get complimented whenever I wear this shade. It's such a subtle, feminine, yet different color. Although it is just a form of light purple, it's an excellent choice for anyone looking for color, yet wanting something that can be subtle and professional for the corporate world.

SHOES

These bad girls are from ShoeDazzle.com, from their Madison collection. This shoe is called the "Marella" in purple. These shoes are GORGEOUS!!!! They have a glossy finish which makes them dressy and make a statement. Although, the shoe itself is comfortable, I must admit that the laces which are a thin "leather-like" cord can be really tight around the ankle. I'm still trying to get used to them before busting out to the rest of the world but believe me, they are FABULOUS! And in case you needed ideas on what to wear them with, here's an easy neutral Spring look that I'd wear them with. I think a knee-length or midi pencil or a-line skirt would be perfect with these shoes to wear to a social event, wedding, party, shower, church, or brunch. So treat yourself to these babies, which are now on sale for $27.97 on Shoe Dazzle's website!

LIPS

One of the hottest hues in the lipstick world this year has been various shades of purple! If you want to elevate a basic look and turn it into something MAJOR, one of the easiest ways to do that is with a bold lip. These are 4 of my favorites, in an array of purple. In this order, from left-to-right in the top two pictures, they are "Asian Flower" Sheen Supreme lipstick by MAC (2nd Row 1) $18, "Purple Rain" by The Lip Bar (2nd Row 2) $20, "Heroine" by MAC (3rd Row 1) $16, "BLS05 Hunk" Butter Lipstick by NYX (3rd Row 2) $6. (Please excuse my zit, Pedro in the picture. He wanted to join the fun...) All of these shades are beautiful and although some of them look similar, they are all still different and create a unique look. All of these shades are long-wearing. Asian Flower is very creamy and a little goes a long way. Purple Rain is from the Vegan lipstick brand, The Lip Bar, which I might add, is black-owned. It went on really smoothly and smells great! Heroine is a MAC crowd favorite due to its rich bold color. The Butter Lipstick line by NYX is a great inexpensive option that still packs a punch. It hydrates your lips while giving amazing color! 

Because lip colors look different in different lighting, I also took the same pictures with the flash of my camera on. It makes a world of difference, while making all of my facial imperfections in high-def. smh I still am going to show what it looks like so that you can tell the difference, and it is a big difference. Remember, this is a no judgement zone! 

These colors are all in the same order as the previous picture. You can kind of see the difference in the boldness levels with the flash on. The colors now don't look as pink as they do in the previous picture, as well. And side note, just because it's funny: I took these pictures on my phone and when I tried to retouch the pictures to get rid of "Pedro", my phone tried to be sweet and said "There are no imperfections". Thank you Samsung for trying to make me feel better, but I really wanted to ex Pedro out! lol

Jewelry

Everyone that knows me knows that I LOVE accessories! A good piece can make a basic outfit into a look! Here a couple recent finds I found at one of my favorite shops, Charming Charlie. A good statement necklace is a must! It can take a plain tank top or tube top and kick it up a notch. This set is a beautiful necklace and matching earrings that was full price for $20, but is currently on clearance for $9.99. What a deal! While there, I also found this perfect bracelet in a honeycomb style that features the same color scheme of yellow, turquoise, and purple, which was $15, but is now on clearance for $7.99. Although, the purple of the bracelet is slightly darker than that of necklace and earrings, it's still so far away from the chest/neckline that it still coordinates. I also recently bought this beautiful long gold necklace with a polished purple stone pendant from Charming Charlie for $15. This can go well with a solid color plain tee, button-down shirt, layered look with dolman sleeves, etc. Although I hate paying retail, it still is a great find at 15 bucks, plus I had a coupon and reward certificate that I used that shopping trip, so I still got a great deal.

HAIR 

I absolutely love that young women are taking their hair color to new levels by dying their hair all of the colors of the rainbow. It exudes confidence and style. Particularly, the purple hair that ladies are wearing looks so cool and refreshing. It mixed with gray hues in hair looks great on people of all different complexions and in all different hair lengths. Here are two of my favorite celeb looks who are rocking this trend. Maybe one day, I'll take the big leap and go there with my hair, maybe...

Mad props to Kelly Osbourne, who brought the purple hair look to town! She looks amazing with it!

Raven-Symone has been giving us life with her fearless hair color changes! Although I disagree with some of her political and societal opinions, I totally agree with her hair color choices!