Shop Small, Save Big

When we came up with the idea for Because I Shop Too Much and Because They Grow Too Fast, we were so excited to create a place where fellow fashion lovers could share their style by swapping with a friend or selling gently used items in order to make room for their new favorites. 

Our goal was create the portal and let the rest be in your control - We encouraged you to ship your items using your preferred methods and customize your packaging by inserting a personal note or a story about the history of the piece...maybe you wore it on a first date or for a tough job interview. We loved the idea of girls (& guys!) bonding over something as simple as an item from their closet and we hope you do too.

In honor of your support, Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, we invite you to shop our closets at 30% off today through December, 2nd. Between the two of us, there is a nice mix of boho chic, preppy, animal print (our favorite neutral!) and staples for each season so there is something for everyone. Just email us with your order: sisters.marie@yahoo.com or tag us with your wish list on Instagram! 

Click each image below to shop:

BONUS! Our graphic t's are on sale for  $20 $15! 

Click the image below to shop:

Thanks so much for shopping small...and too much ;) 

Stay tuned on Monday for some fun photos from Thanksgiving! 

Blog of the Month: Diary of This Girl

We first started interacting with Megan a few years back over Instagram and immediately fell in love with her quirky sense of style and sweet nature. She was quick to compliment our work (especially our rock & swap features) which always brought a smile to our faces. Since then, we have become big fans of her blog and sincerely wish Seattle was our next door neighbor so we could be besties. 

Here is a little bit about Diary of this Girl:

This little blog details my life after college. I'm adjusting to life as a montessori preschool teacher,  finishing school, living on my own, and spending as much time as possible with friends. please introduce yourself and send me the link to your blog! I am always looking for something new to read. let's be blogging friends!  More about me? I am a frozen yogurt addict, avid reader, volunteer, shopaholic, lover of red lipstick & toms, and am slightly obsessed with nail polish, denim shirts & my dachshund, bailey.

You can shop Megan's style in her online closet, but for now, here's some of our favorite looks:

Who are your favorite style bloggers and why?

It's in the Bag!

Rocked it & Swapped it

One of things we look forward to most when the seasons change is adding our favorite sweaters back to the closet rotation. Out with the tanks and in with the knits - chunky and copped, long and tailored, marled and draped...whatever the combination, we aim to stay comfy, cozy and chic. 

Lisa recently listed this Forever 21 sweater in her closet because she has a few similar items and this worked out great for me. I called dibs on it right away, knowing it would be perfect for chilly days at the office where even my space heater just won't do. I love how she paired it with an oversized green hat -- I just kept the hair simple and added distressed denim with a nude bootie.

Shop cozy (and affordable!) sweaters on BISTM:

1 // 2 // 3

4 // 5 // 6

It's SPOOKY How Fast They Grow Up...

From the costume selections to the undeniable “trick or treat, smell my feet” chants, Halloween is like another Christmas Day for a kid (and even some adults who have created Goole Doc spreadsheets documenting couples costume ideas)…not that I know anyone like that ;) 

Dress up is a year round activity for most children, but October 31^st is special – it means costume parades, overflowing buckets of candy and spending the day as your favorite character in the world. Whether you’re looking for a store-bought costume or want to put your DIY skills to work, we can help…check out the selection on Because They Grow Too Fast and sell some of your kids old costumes while you’re there!

Sell Your Clothes in Less than 1 Minute

   

When we talk to people about our sites (1//2), one of the comments we frequently hear is, "I don't have a lot of time - is it easy to upload my items?" and the answer is always yes. We can explain it in words, but it becomes simplified when you're able to see it in real time. 

The nice part of the "create an item" page is that we allow you to fill in as much or as little information as you want - if you have time to add a description of your item, you can skip this portion. However, as buyers ourselves, we are more inclined to move forward with a purchase if we know everything about it :)

Have you started your own closet yet? Check out all the great new uploads now to start #swapping and shopping!

 Do you have kids or friends who do? Let them in on the secret..cash for outgrown kids clothes here.

Shine Bright Like A…Sequin.

Pinspired: Work & Cozy Chic

Do you ever see an outfit on Pinterest that instantly makes you say, "I MUST have that!" We are always pinning with the mindset to come back to it later but this time, we've taken some of the work out of it for you. Here a few looks we love and how you can have them for a fraction of the price by finding the pieces on because i shop too much!

2 Pinspired looks we love:

(Pin) Bag// Shots // Boots // Sweater 

(Pin) Blazer // Pants // Shoes // Top

See something you like? Head over and do some shopping and don't forget to make your own closet...time to start selling and swapping with other fashion lovers!

Because We Worked a Designer Pop-Up Shop!

We teamed up with Blank Nation Apparel and House of Gemmes this past Saturday for a meet and greet during their 3 day pop-up shop!

We had such a blast and appreciate Kristin and Brooke letting us share the space. It was a great location with White House Black Market and LOFT as our neighbors, so we were in good company and met some fun people spending their Saturday at the Orland Crossing sidewalk sale.

Lisa & Kaitlyn of Sisters Marie, Brooke of Blank Nation, Kristin of House of Gemmes

Here is what the BISTM/BTGTF set up looked like:

Here are a few of the people who shopped our closets...everyone left with something new for their closet and a FriendSwap Bag as well.

Also, can we just talk about how adorable that little bean is in Lisa's daughter's rain boots she was selling on BTGTF... Cuteness overload!   

Kristin had an amazing set up. She had quite a few of her classic style wrap skirts and dresses along with other dresses and tops from previous collections (if you don't know, Kristin had her own clothing line before House of Gemmes...the pieces are so cute and we were so happy to shop it this weekend!)

There was also tons of House of Gemmes jewelry with crazy reduced prices. We both snagged an adorable Illinois necklace along with quite a few other items.

Here is what Kristin's boutique looked like:

Blank Nation Apparel:

 

A few of our friends stopped by to say hello! (Thanks girls!)

Lindsay from Lindzee Lu and Jessica from Jess+Jill  

Of course we did some shopping too (we aren't lying about the "shop too much" title!)

Here are a few looks we picked up:

Left to Right: 
Kristin Hassan tee & Skirt // Kristin Hassan lace skirt // Blank Nation Dress // Blank Nation Dress

We loved this experience and can't wait to work with our fellow fashionistas again!
Stay tuned for outfit details from the event...

Rocked it & Swapped it

One of my favorite things about BISTM is you can find users that are from your area or fellow blogger friends and trade with them. 

Jill of Jess & Jill wore this beautiful Akira dress in a blog post back in May of 2012. 

I love everything about the way she styled it! In fact, my first instinct was to wear a black bra, belt, and shoes because I loved her look so much. 

In a last minute change of heart, I decided to go with a white bandeau bra under, neutral shoes, skip the belt, and a blue statement necklace to my Just Fab Blogher event.

Here is one dress two ways:

What do you think? 

I love it both ways and can't wait to try layering over it to get some pre-fall looks out of the dress too! 

#Lisa 

Shop Our Closets (A Shameless Plug!)

We're always bragging about the great finds we spot on Because I Shop Too Much but today, we're taking a selfish time out and sharing some of our items for sale. There are styles for winter to summer, brands from Forever 21 to JewelMint, and sizes for everyone.

It's Friday, Friday, gotta shop too much on Friday :)

Kaitlyn's Closet

GraphicTank: $10, Urban Outfitters // Teal Dress: $10, H&M // Floral Tank: $5, Forever 21

Sheer floral top: $10, Discovery // Silver heels: $10, Bakers // Blue heels: $15, Joan & David 

Sequin & lace top: $5, Forever 21 // Coral statement necklace: $5, Target

Lisa's Closet

Orange Flats: $20, Worn Once, Size 8 & 1/2, Sole Society //  Paramour Bracelet: $9, Jewelmint 

Green Cords: $15, Size 4, Loft // High-low Hem Dress: $17, NWT retail price $59 

Modcloth Tote Bag: $12, MNG by Mango // Stitched Skirt w/ Belt: $12, NWT, I Heart Ronson

Floral Midi Skirt: $13, NWT retail price $34.95, size XS, H&M 

Multi Strand Necklace: $7, Shop Frankies // Blouse w/ Cami: Size S, $9, Liz Claborne

If you have a closet, have you created your custom URL yet?
Promote those clothes and earn some $!

Bags & Belts? We've Got you Covered!

Whether you are in need of a tote or a weekend bag, we've got you covered with endless closets to choose from.  Check out some great finds that are currently for sale:

katie, inna carina, chisa muniz, ashley

kaitlyn, lisa, nancy, theresa

While you are there shopping, make sure you upload new items to your closet! 

Have you bought, sold, or swapped lately? 

#SistersMarie

Friday's Featured Closet

This weeks featured closet belongs to Michelle M. Most of her items are sizes XS and S, but she does have a few mediums and larges too. Here are a few of our Favorite items currently for sale:

 Lots of great items for year round wear (more knits and sweater dresses in her closet too). We spy a few items we wouldn't mind owning ourselves. 

Check out Michelle's closet here and don't forget to update your own closets!

I'm sure now that the holidays have passed, you have lots of new items to upload... I know we do!

#SistersMarie

Blog Launch Giveaway!

With the blog launching in 1 week, we would LOVE to offer our new readers a chance to win some loot! One lucky winner will win a $40 credit towards Lisa's and/or Kaitlyn's closets over on Stilettos and Diaper Bags!  aka you can apply the credit towards any of the following closet's: 


(shop Lisa's closet, shop Kaitlyn's closet, shop Lisa's jewelry/shoes, shop Lisa's outerwear/purses, shop Lisa's kids, shop Lisa's hubby, shop Lisa's maternity)

To enter: Simply follow us on Google Friend Connect (on the right side of the blog!) and leave a comment below telling us you have done so! 
For additional entries: Follow BISTM on Facebook and Follow BISTM on Twitter

Giveaway open to US residents only (sorry).

Winner will be announced Tuesday May 15th at 7:00am. Good luck! 

#SistersMarie