april showers?

 

This morning when I was getting ready for work, I looked outside and noticed that everything looked a bit wet and dreary, so I thought it would be the perfect time to wear my new rain boots. April showers, right? I haven't had a chance to wear them a lot other than to walk the dogs, so I was really excited. So excited in fact that I neglected to notice that only my driveway was wet (from the giant shoveled snow mass in the front yard), and everything else was bone dry. Once I stepped out of my car to take pictures, I felt a little ridiculous standing there in my rain boots. Plus I already felt so twee with the skirt, pattern mixing, and little bow in my hair that this is what I ended up doing:

So I changed into the flats I was going to wear at work. Maybe not as fun, but also not as silly as wearing rubber boots when there isn't any wetness on the ground.

Shirt: J.Crew [exact on sale]

Skirt: Thrifted

Scarf: Forever 21 [similar]

Tights: Target

Watch: Target (for $1!)

Boots: Hunter [exact]

Flats: Tory Burch [exact]

linking up with wiww.

twisted vlogging

So you ladies know I love a good scarf, so what's better than one? Two! Whitney from Along the Lines of Style gave me the floral scarf in December after I complimented her on it and she said she doesn't wear it - too bad we don't live closer so I can tell her I like her stuff all the time! It's a thinner scarf so I've been waiting to wear it until it warmed up but I just doubled it up with another thinner scarf and ta-da, winter scarf.

A few people have asked how I tied this scarf so I figured I'd take a note from Lynette and make a little video about it. I promise I'm as awkward in person as I am on film:

< is that the most flattering still you've ever seen? I thought so too. Maybe the next time I tape myself I won't do on a whim on a day where I have 4 day bun hair and minimal makeup on.

via Instagram

Sweater: Gap  {save | splurge}
Shirt: J. Crew  {exact on sale for $20 in stores}
Scarves: Forever 21 {similar}, gift from Whitney
Jeans: American Eagle  {exact on sale}
Shoes: Tory Burch  {exact}
Earrings: Tiffany & Co.  {exact}
Watch: Fossil  {similar}

The last week of TOPIO! Did you participate this month? If not...there's still this week to do it! #peerpressure #thisisnttwitter #hashtagallthethings

february budget

1. Burberry Jacket, thrifted: $8
2. Barbour Vest, thrifted: $4
3. Ralph Lauren Oxford, thrifted: $4, $0 with Goodwill points
4. Forever 21 Lace Tee (seen here): $22
5. Nicole Boots via DSW (seen here): $110
6. J.Crew Tee (seen here): originally $45, $20 on sale
7. Blazer, thrifted & DIY altered (seen here): $8
8. Urban Outfitters Jeans: $40 with coupon code + $8 alterations
9. Christian Dior Blazer, thrifted: $8 + $25 alterations
10. Nine West Flats (seen here): $18, $0 with a Christmas giftcard from my girl Hannah

= $252

Well. I did not do that great this month. Even if I take the $25 "leftover" from last month, and the $25 I made from selling two things on eBay, I'm still about $50 over my self-established budget of $150. I do feel guilty about that because although I purchased some of these items before I found out I got into school, I didn't really try that hard to stick to my budget afterwards. My new boots are largely at fault - they're 2/3 of my entire month's budget! Besides that purchase though, I feel I found some really great deals. I found a Burberry jacket for $8, a Christian Dior Blazer for $8 (it needs to be altered around the sleeves though, so that jacks the end price up), and a Barbour vest (although I'm debating selling it on eBay as they go for around $60 on there) while thrifting. I also added ribbon piping and a new button to another thrifted blazer, so it was like a craft project/entertainment and a new clothing piece in one ;). I ordered the high-rise Urban Outfitters cigarette jeans in a size longer than my last pair so I can get them hemmed to the perfect length, so I'm really excited to have black skinny jeans again.

So in the end, I did fill a few holes in my closet with the boots and the jeans and I found some once in a lifetime thrifting finds. Like I mentioned, I'm really going to work towards saving money the next ~4 months while I'm still working. I am allowing myself $250 (around 10%) from my tax return (the rest is going straight into DO NOT TOUCH savings) to shop next weekend in Chicago. There are so many stores down there that we obviously don't have in Madison, so my goal is to find some of the following items:

- dark wash boot cut jeans, hopefully at Nordstrom Rack (like this pair, this pair, or this pair)
- tweed/boucle blazer (like this one, this one, or this one)
- Hunter rain boots (this color, this color, or this color?)
- bright floral scarf (like this, this, or this beauty)

I think having a list of things will curb my "throw money at all the stores and buy all the unneeded things" feelings I will have having that "free" money in my wallet. Hopefully I'll find a few things I'll really get some use out of. Of course, none of those items are actually necessary in the sense that food and water, and only having one pair of pants is necessary, but they are items I am hoping to add to my closet as I know I would get a lot of wear out of them, unlike some of my impulse buys in the past have.

So how did you do this month? Better than I did? Just as horrible and guilty? Link up below with budgetting bloggers! Please make sure you link back so your readers can discover and be inspired by all of the other bloggers who budget (even if they fail at it ha)



P.S. Linking up with Thrifters Anonymous, Random Wednesday, and Penniless Socialite.

wash | wear

I read somewhere once that only poor people wear the clothes they just bought right away. So rich people must either have a lot of clothes, or a lot of restraint because when I buy something new, I want to wear it right away, like my new shirt I just bought. I don't even wash most things (besides underwear and tank tops) before I wear them

...that's kind of gross actually.

So spill. Do you wash everything you buy right away, or do you wear it first? Do you have a closet full of clothes with the tags attached? Am I the only one who wants to wear a new purchase the next day?

Shirt: J. Crew  {$20 in stores!}

Blouse: H&M

Necklace: Forever 21  {exact}

Jeans: Gap  {exact}

Boots: Nicole  {exact | splurge}

Watch: Fossil  {similar}

Bracelet: Tiffany & Co.  {save | exact}

P.S. Next weekend I get to spend 36 hours with one of my favorite ladies Sam. We're meeting in Chicago for day-drinking, tipsy shopping, and deep dish eating. If you are in the Chicago area and want to meet up for dinner with us, LET US KNOW! Let's hang out. We're fun, I promise.










Linking up with Plane Pretty!