It's no secret that I'm not a fashionista. My husband usually buys me new clothes for my birthday or Christmas or I take my older sister's hand-me-downs. The pictures above were from a shopping attempt while I was away for work and I was texting pics to my husband for fashion advice. Don't you just love the colorful socks?! (I may or may not have tons of funky socks and I may or may not wear mismatched socks just for fun) The fact is, I don't take time to care for myself and I purposely don't post pictures of myself on the blog other than my face. But…it is time!!

Through my blog, I am learning to take time for my family and for myself as well. Who knew that blogging would teach my family how to have family game nights and craft time and date night with Hubby? This past week, I learned that it is okay to spend some of my hard earned money on myself, even if it is for a laptop so I can work smarter, not harder!! It is time for me to look good!!

Time for a #styleSurprise at Sears!!

I have been working really hard to stick to a weight loss program with Hubby and I have lost 20 pounds in the first month. Clothes are starting to feel comfortable again. Now, I need to learn how to look good and feel good by getting new clothes and developing a "style". I grabbed my little sister and my boy and we headed out to Sears to check out their new styles and find something new just for me.

I was a little hesitant to shop for clothes so early in my weight loss (and you know I have every size of clothing already in my closet), but I heard from a good blogger friend that "accessories can make or break a wardrobe" so I decided that this #styleSurprise would be all about the accessories. Since I'm never good at dressing myself (except in jeans, t-shirts, and Polo boots), I reached out to my Instagram followers for feedback on what works and what doesn't because while my husband will tell me if something looks BAD, he also loves me no matter what.

My first try at some new footwear was a pair of fuzzy boots and while they were soft and very warm, they may not be practical for Texas weather. My followers on Instagram and Facebook weren't overly excited, but agreed they were cute and comfy.

Next up (and secretly my first choice) were some cute brown pumps. They were popular on Instagram and my sister said on Facebook that they were "Janet shoes". You see, along with my style challenges, I am also quite balance challenged so I have only attempted heels twice in my life (both times, weddings, and it was not good). These brown pumps are a natural choice for me, fun and comfortable, and I'm told they can be used for dressing up and casual. Bonus!

My boy, bless his heart, was trying really hard to help me find some shoes while we were shopping. He finally talked Aunt B to grab some of these shoes in my size. He loved them so much and said that we matched with our black and red. The shoes were actually really comfortable, but very clunky and reminded me a lot of the Polo boots that were sitting next to me. They were not popular on Instagram and my Aunt Linda pointed out on Facebook that I may not want my new style to match my 4 year old, "as charming and loveable and stylin as that 4-year-old is" <– her words, not mine!

Then my sister made the ultimate find – sparkles! I knew when I posted these that I would get some responses and some excitement. You see, many of my friends love sparkles and they would be proud of me adding some bling to my style. I was conflicted between the blue and the white so I decided to leave that up to those who were watching. The overwhelming response on Instagram was mostly BOTH, but on Facebook, BLUE was the winner. I was leaning toward blue so this was a no-brainer for me.

I didn't think about it at the time, but when I got home, Hubby reminded me that he finds jeans and white shoes quite attractive, so I was back the next day for the white ones, too.

Even my boy, again bless his heart, pointed out that I need a new purse (mine is hanging by some threads, literally). These bags got a few hearts on Instagram and the consensus on Facebook was that I should get the brown and the butterfly bags and (eek!) switch out bags for my outfits. These two were my faves so I went with it and we will just have to see if I can make myself do this because, well…

Accessories can make or break a wardrobe 

Are you ready for your own Style Surprise? Take advantage of this Sears coupon and save 20% on clothing and accessories until the end of the year. You can also enter the SearsStyle Sweepstakes and win a gift card to kickstart your own style surprise! Find out more about Sears and the #styleSurprise by following searsStyle on Facebook and @searsStyle on Twitter.

What would you shop for first with a styleSurprise?!!

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Sears #styleSurprise #ad #CBias #SocialFabric. All stories and opinions are my own.