Massachusets Dreaming

 Top: Gap / Sweater: Target sz s / Jeans: Paige / Shoes: Rocket Dog / Bag: Fossil / Bracelets: bought in England

 

I think one of the keys to saving money on clothes is to keep things foreverrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I have had these black flats for years, have put multiple pairs of drugstore-bought insoles in them to extend their life, have worn them into the ground, and (much to the Boyfriend's chagrin) am still wearing them.

That, my friends, is how you save money! :)

In other news, I spent all of Saturday sitting in a coffee shop and editing the heck out of my grad school applications, which are due in a few days (!!!). I thought I'd give myself a leg up by channeling my inner east coast grad school student through my outfit. I was hoping for a collared shirt/sweater effect a bit more like this one from i am Khatu, but it turns out I actually have zero necklaces of that length/weight (which really makes her outfit). Maybe I'll be able to buy one in April to congratulate myself on getting into grad school? Goodness, one can hope!

Full Disclosure

In the interest of full disclosure (and keeping myself accountable), this year I'm going to be blogging how much I spend on clothes/makeup/hair stuff each month, for all of The Internets to read. This is a bit of a scary task, as I do think that I have the tendency to make little white lies to myself about what I am buying and where my money is going. However, as I am on an immensely small budget, and because I really want to show that you do NOT need to spend a ton (or even a moderate amount) of money to feel good about yourself, here goes nothing!

When I started my job at City Year, I began keeping an Excel record of how I spent my money, breaking it down by week/month and type of purchase. Thanks to that, I have the past 5 months on record, and they are as follows:

August

Clothing: $0

Makeup: $21.72

Hair: $0

September

Clothing: $18.00

Makeup: $15.96

Hair: ~$10.00

October

Clothing: $98.77

Makeup: $15.00

Hair: $0.00

November

Clothing: $0

Makeup: $0

Hair: ~$10.00

December

Clothing: $67.23

Makeup: $0

Hair: $0

So, for the last 5 months of this year, I spent an average of $36.80/month on clothing, $10.53/month on makeup, and $4/month on hair products. Overall, pretty good, I'd say! Here's to keeping it up (or, down, as the case may be) through 2012.

2011: Looks in Review

Oh my goodness, it has been too long! I'm back! Winter break was lovely; full of friends and family and vacations up the coast of California and across the country to chilly NY. I'm glad, however, to be back in Southern California, back at my job, and back in my own bed!

I started this blog with the intentions of breaking my jeans-and-tshirt rut, finding some fun and creativity in how I presented myself, and helping out other petites (and non-petites!) who wanted to feel good about how they dressed without spending a bazillion dollars.

I hope I've kept to those goals throughout this past calendar year, and that I'll continue sticking with them into 2012 and beyond (please use a Buzz Lightyear voice to read the previous phrase). To celebrate the first year in which I started this little project, a recap of my 10 favorite outfits (or, the times in which I was most proud of myself for getting dressed in the morning), of 2011.

Full layout inspiration credit to the lovely and stylish Megan of Feathers and Freckles who daily proves that a little Picnik goes a long way.

 1. Warm and Cozy 2. Crisp Oxford 3. Can you really dye my shirt to match my wall?

 4. PFC #11 5. PFC # 10 6. Casual Fridays 7. Party Dress

8. Pattern Mixing 101 9. It's Summer, and I'm Confused 10. Is it Fall Yet?

Things I have learned from these 10 looks: I love cardigans, I really love black and purple, I like high belts way more than the Boyfriend wishes I did, I'm proud of myself when I wear skirts, and I'm extra proud of myself when I wear heels. :) Happy New Year, everyone! And thank you so, so much for reading.

Happy New Year!

I'm in New York on a mini-vacation and having a lovely time in the absurdly perfect 50 degree weather. However, I am doing very little picture-taking and (obviously) hardly any blogging. Lo siento muchisimo!

I'll be back in a few days with more posts and updates. Hope everyone is having a great start to 2012.

Happy New Year!!

O Denim, Where Art Thou?

Tee: Gap sz s / Cardigan: Forever 21 sz m / Jeans: PacSun Bullhead Black Denim sz 1 (on sale for $32.00, buy here for $49.50) / Boots: thrift store / Necklace: farmer's market
 

One of the drawbacks of taking your own photos is thinking they look awesome until you later realize that, no, 97% of them were out of focus. But three were kind of ok!

I bought these PacSun Bullhead Black jeans a while back on sale in an effort to satiate my desire for colored denim on the cheap. They get the job done, but unfortunately have some drawbacks. Since my review, I've realized that they have a kind of strange fit. They are incredibly tight all throughout the legs (I like wearing them with boots to hide how suuuuper tight they are around my calves, but then again I have dancer calves), but pretty loose around the waist, like stretchy jeans that you haven't washed in a while.

My attempt to find a better pair at Gap, in the form of the 1969 midweight legging jeans (I love the "Russian Red" color) also, unfortunately, was unsuccessful. Those jeans actually had the exact same fit issues: too tight in the legs, too loose in the waist. I think that's what I get when I'm trying on "legging jeans."

Alas, I am still on the hunt for the perfect pair of cheap colored denim. Any suggestions?

Merry Christmas Eve!

Last Minute Gifts, Under $20

1. Fringe Scarf, $10
2. Rose Earring Set, $3.80
3. Moleskine Pocket Notebook (set of 2), $8.95
4. FAIR True Wool Knit Gloves, $9.98
5. Les Petits Macarons Cookbook, $18.00
6. Sock Monkey Hat, $20.00
7. Leatherette Cosmetic Bag, $7.80
8. Primary Confection Measuring Spoons, $14.00
9. Lollia Handcreme, $7.50

 

I'm celebrating my first legitimate Christmas this year, with the boyfriend and his family, and I am very excited. Also nervous. However, I'm sure all cultural confusion can be smoothed away with presents. Lots of them. So, here is my last-minute holiday gift-giving guide, to maybe help some of you who, like me, are not quite done with their holiday shopping. Even though Hanukkah's already started. :)

I hope you all have a lovely holiday season, filled with joy, family, and lots and lots of good food! On that note, I'm off too bake some cookies!

(Posting might be a bit sporadic for the next week or two, given the holidays and the fact that I'm traveling all about, but I'll definitely post when I can!)

Thrifting Win and I'm (Almost) Recovered

Top: Forever 21 sz s ( ($17.99) / Jacket: Zara / Jeans: Paige lowrise bootcut sz 26 / Booties: Max Studio sz 7 (thrifted for $17.00!)



Look! I put on clothes! For the first time in three days, I wore something other than pajama pants, an old t-shirt, and my Northface jacket. I'm (kind of/sort of/almost) recovered, and celebrated by taking a shower and going out in the world for a grand total of 1 hour before I had to get back on the couch and cover myself in blankets and dogs. Baby steps.

Here's the part where I have to ask the boyfriend to stop reading, because I'm about to talk about shoes that I TOTALLY DIDN'T BUY STOP JUDGING ME.

Good. Now that he's gone. I bought shoes. These Max Studio brown leather booties, to be exact. I saw them in a thrift store for $17 and figured the price couldn't be beat. Turns out, I was right; similar brown leather booties are retailing on Max Studio's website for $269. Dang. Thrifting win!