one year ago today: j.crew ikat dress

My ikat dress remains one of my favorite items in my closet. It's kind of one huge statement piece, but with it's neutral colors and simple shape, I think it can easily be mix and matched. One year ago, I wore it with my former favorite cardigan (RIP) to class, and this year I wore it under a white coat with a simple necklace and other black + gold accessories. Next up: with a blazer! While my dress is no longer available in stores, you can always try on eBay (I found several sizes here), or try this more expensive version if you really love it ;)

Dress: J.Crew [similar]

Necklace: Kendra Scott [exact]

Watch: c/o Larsson & Jennings [exact]

Shoe: Tory Burch [exact]

Purse: Tory Burch c/o Shopbop [save | exact]

P.S. Previous "One Year Ago Today" posts can be found here!

wearing a dress as a skirt

One of the easiest ways to look dressed up is just wear a dress - you look nice with minimal effort! Part of the reason they are so easy to wear though is because they aren't very versatile - you can throw a cardigan or something over it, but it's pretty much a stand alone piece. I've been meaning to try the "dress as a skirt' thing for a while, and I'm so glad I did because it really felt like having a new piece in my closet, although it wasn't! So now that I've done the dress as a skirt, and a shirt as a scarf, what do I try to re-wear in a new way?

Dress: J.Crew [similar below]

Sweater: J.Crew Factory [similar]

Tights: Target [exact - slimming but not constricting!]

Scarf: H&M [similar]

Boots: Vince Camuto [exact]

Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington [exact]

and a few similar options below (I love the first one!)

clothing memories

I don't consider myself a person who is very sentimental about clothing, but there are some things in my closet that I have a lot of great memories attached to. For example, this dress. 

I found this dress when I was shopping with Bri this summer while we were in Seattle - Bri has been one of my longest blogging friends (who turned into real life friend) and so having a real life "blogging adventures" was so much fun. In addition, I wore this on my and CR's trip down to Portland, so I have the memories of exploring our first "brand new" city together - the great ice cream, the under dressing for the chilly weather, and all of the fun places we saw. It makes me happy to wear this dress because of those memories - do you have any similar pieces in your closet? 

Dress: J.Crew [similar]

Cardigan: Old Navy

Scarf: H&M [very similar - I'll take a grey please!]

Shoes: Banana Republic [exact]

Bag: Madewell [cute save || exact]

Watch: Michael Kors [exact]

Belt: Gap 

P. S. The Shopbop Friends and Family sale starts today - you get 25% off your entire purchase (with a few of the higher name brands excluded). This is the first month I'll be sponsored by them, and I'm thinking of sticking with the classics - I'll probably either pick up one of these cream sweaters(won't it be perfect with a scarf and cognac boots?) or one of these MK rose-gold watch I've been eyeing for months. Best part is that either way I'll get free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime (which may have been the best "purchase" I've made all year!)

it's a jungle out there

I first saw this dress in the J.Crew catalog in February, and I remember just falling in love with it. Black, white, patterns, and in a flattering cut? Sign me up...once it goes on sale.

While I fully believe in spending a little more for something you know you'll love and wear, I also find it really hard to pay full price for things, especially for most mall clothes that will have a sale within a week. I kept my eye on it on and off for months, but still couldn't justify $100+ on such a unique dress, no matter how much I would wear it. But when I found it in stores this summer for $50 with the 50% off sales + student discount, I was so happy I had waited. Playing the gambling game doesn't always pay off...but sometimes it does :)

Dress: J.Crew [exact on sale with most petites still available]

Cardigan: J.Crew Factory 

Belt: Everlane [exact]

Watch: Michael Kors [save for under $50 | exact]

Purse: Kate Spade [save | splurge]

Shoes: Lucky [exact]

Nails: Butter [exact]

july budget

1. Target dress [seen here]: $20
2. Hudson jeans via Nordstrom Rack [seen here]: originally $180, on sale for $35
3. Project Social tee: $35
4. J.Crew dress [seen here]: originally $158, on sale for $55
5. J.Crew pants: originally $98, on sale for $35
6. Banana Republic Factory sweater [seen here]: $25
7. Uniqlo Jeans [seen here]: $40

Total July spent: $245

Quarterly Budget: $110 in May + $120 in June + 245 in July = $475

So I knew that July would be a bigger shopping month for me because of the trips to Seattle and NYC. Both of those trips were more about seeing friends and going exploring, and less about shopping, so I only purchased a few things in each place. While almost fall under my "rules", I felt like I tried to at least step a little out of my normal items. The striped pants (which are still on sale + 40% off) are a fun addition to my normal school pants collection, while the Hudson jeans (which I still can't believe I got for one sixth of the original price) are so comfortable that they'll be perfect for long weekends at the library.

I did order these shoes at the end of last month, but have decided I'm going to return them. While they are cute and very inexpensive, I don't have a need for another pair of sandals right before school starts. I also didn't really like the black part of the sandal as it looked a little too plasticy.

As for as c/o items this month, BaubleBar sent me these beautiful pieces of jewelry. I've been a long-time fan of the brand, and all of my pieces from them have held up very well! My favorite is this necklace, which I've worn at least five times since I received it a few weeks ago. It's something I would never have thought of purchasing, but it's my go-to item right now.

one | two | three [seen here] | four

So what are my plans for next quarter? Well, I have to wait until we get our student loan checks, so for the first three-ish weeks shopping is a little on hold. I did order this vest as it is backordered for another three weeks, so it won't ship/charge until after we get money. Once that comes in, I'm hoping to add a few of the items mentioned here so round out my closet....although this dress just came out, and I'm trying to figure out if there's a way I can make it work for school - thoughts?

Did you stick to your July budget? I would love to hear more about it - please add your link below, and be sure to link back to this post so your readers can read and discover other budgeting bloggers!

rose city

On Sunday morning we hopped down to Portland. I had checked the weather the night before, and it said it was going to be in the mid 90s, so I happily put on my new (sleeveless) dress, didn't even think about packing a cardigan (because 90 degrees, hello), and jumped on the bus. 12 minutes into being in Portland...and it started to pour. Yeah, that 20% chance of rain was actually 100%, and those 90 degrees were actually 65. Luckily someone was smarter than me and brought his rain coat, and was kind enough (he forced me) to wear it. 

Despite the weather, we had a great time in the city! We did some of the touristy things, and ate at a bunch of great places (brunch at Huckleberries, ice cream at Salt & Straw, dinner at Deschutes Brewery, breakfast at Blue Star Donuts, and lunch at Oven & Shaker). Thank you to everyone for your recommendations - they were excellent :) All of you native Portlanders have such a beautiful city. 

Dress: J.Crew [exact, still on sale with code HOTOUT]

Belt: Everlane [exact]

Shoes: Target [similar]

Watch: Michael Kors [exact]