July Budget & Buys

Well friends, it's that time of the month.  Oh yes, budget recap time.  I do this for myself every month, but it's the first time I'm actually posting it on the blog, so... be nice?

Tops

J. Crew anchor print silk blouse - $39

Tommy Hilfiger teal striped top - $51

Nordstrom faux fur utility parka - $60

Nordstrom Element half zip top - $40 (thinking of returning this...)

J. Crew Factory striped long sleeve tee in neon azalea - $15

J. Crew Factory "Hold Fast" t-shirt $17

J. Crew mixed tape cardi in pool blue - $21 (not pictured, wore it here)

Bottoms

Anthropologie Lawn Party Skirt - $30 (wore it here)

C. Wonder seersucker blue pencil skirt - $20

J. Crew black pencil skirt- $46

J. Crew succulent green pencil skirt- $30

Nordstrom Nike white track shorts - $20

Extras

Talbots Lysa suede leopard bow flats - $42 (but $0 for me, thanks Mom!)

J. Crew Havana clutch - $36

C. Wonder white studded bangle - $9 (next to the clutch)

J. Crew Factory resin green/gold link necklace - $12

Madewell sandals - $32 (thinking of returning these...)

Bass Wayfarer Loafers - $54

Total (gulp...) $532
(would be down to $460 if I returned the sandals and Nike top... hmmm.)

Wow, that adds up fast.  I ended up buying a total of 18 items this month, which... is kind of a lot.  This also made me realize that I do not need to buy another pencil skirt at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale even though I was planning to - I think 3 new pencil skirts plus 1 other skirt in one month is plenty!  I actually purchased a few other things but have already returned them, including those Nordstrom tops (they were just way too big) and a striped blazer at J. Crew Factory that I didn't really love and didn't fit right.  The sales this month were out of control, so I went a little lot over my budget.  However, I did finish a 1 month shopping ban in June, so I had a bit of a buffer from not spending any money last month, and I borrowed from the August budget too since the sales are always better in July.  I mean 40% off at J. Crew?  Could.not.resist.  I did try to buy only things that had been on my radar for awhile - I had been stalking everything at J. Crew for weeks if not months, so I knew I wanted those; the army parka is something I had been wanting since last winter and could never find an affordable one; the loafers are definitely a classic that I had wanted for awhile and finally found on major sale; and the Tommy Hilfiger top... well, it was too expensive and pretty simple for what it is, but I didn't care, I had to have it because I didn't own any striped tops in my favorite color!

Nevertheless, I did buy a lot of stuff and spend a lot of money, so I've also decided I'll be doing another shopping ban for the month of August to take a little breather from rampant consumerism, although the rules are slightly amended - the ban applies to everything unless have a gift card or a rewards card to spend.  I amassed quite the little rewards situation by using my Discover card like a mofo this month (see above!), so I'm letting myself use those for gift cards if and only if a few special items come up.  That's the only exception though, no real money.  This is the perfect time to do another ban for me because I want to reign in both the spending and the amount of stuff I'm bringing into my closet before the start of a new season.  Remember how I was talking about focusing on quality rather than quantity from now on?  Yeah, this is it.  I'm working on cleaning out my closet for fall and putting together a wish list for my wardrobe, so I'll be sharing those in a weekly series of posts in a few weeks!

How did you do on your July budget if you have one?  I'm linking up with Frannish's Budget Post too, so definitely check out the other submissions there about shopping within a budget this month, and also linking up with Real Girl Glam today, so feel free to check out those submissions for some actual outfit posts! :)

Easy Like Sunday Morning

I know, I've used that line before, but I actually wore this outfit yesterday morning when it was both Sunday morning and easy.  For a day of running errands and lunch with my family via a long commute on the joy that is the CTA, I went with the easiest, most Sunday-ey outfit I could think of, which worked out perfectly.  Thanks for the advice, Lionel Richie.

I'm Wearing

Old Navy blue maxi dress - a million years old (a few cute ones here and here)

Gap Outlet white cami - a million years old

Banana Republic Factory coral necklace - $13 (similar, similar, similar)

Delia's tan gladiator sandals - a million years old (similar, cute beaded sandals)

In other, extremely unrelated news (as in, it is nothing like easy and does not involve leisurely walking around the mall and eating chocolate cake while wearing a loose-fitting maxi dress, which is the honest truth of what I did yesterday), today marks the first day of half marathon training for the race I signed up for this fall (this awesome one - now taking suggestions for a great costume!).  I've also been thinking about that lingering goal on my 30 before 30 list, which is to lose the last 20 pounds I want to shed.

Let me tell you the short version of a very long story: Once upon a time, I lost 70 pounds.  I was pretty happy with that even though I still had about 10 more pounds I wanted to lose.  During that time, I also became a runner.  I ran the Chicago Marathon last year and gained a few pounds during training (normal) and then kept eating like a horse after and not sticking to a running schedule (not normal), so I gained another 5 or so pounds.  Therefore, I now have about 20 pounds to be where I really want to be.  Then I added that goal to a list of things I wanted to accomplish before I turned 30.  I turn 30 on October 12.  That is approximately 11 weeks from today.  Moral of the story: must.get.my.ass.moving.

So I'm back on track this week after many wonderful months of dunking Oreos (reduced-fat at least!) in coffee and baking cookies because it's fun to eat them.  Would you guys be interested in reading some updates about fitness/nutrition each week?  I was thinking of coupling a casual Friday outfit with a few updates on food and fitness each Friday - let me know what you think!

And as usual, I'm linking up with Molly for YOLO Mondays!

Happy Sunday!

What have you been up to this weekend?

I went to Randolph Street Market, an antiques festival, with some friends yesterday and found some awesome vintage stuff - I'll post a photo or two of what I picked up later this week.  Today I'm heading to the suburbs to have dinner with my family for my brother-in-law's birthday, and then I'm hoping to catch up on the blog tonight and respond to comments, etc.

The week in a nutshell:

Left column: White Sox game, my favorite beverages

Top right: the drive-in!  Saw The Dark Knight Rises and Abraham Lincoln VampireHunter

Bottom right: amazing finds at the Randolph Street Antiques Market

I hope you're having a nice and relaxing Sunday morning!

Anniversary Sale Goodies & Happy Olympics!

I finally made some decisions at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, but I was really conservative and of course am still lusting after so many things.  Here's what I've purchased so far.

Tulle Utility Parka - no longer available online, $58.90

Nike Element Half Zip Top in white/lilac- $39.90

Pleione Mixed Media Shirt in purple nectar and navy peacoat - $37.90

Nike Tempo Track Shorts in white/orange- $19.90

Thoughts on these.  The parka is great, I think I'll be keeping it for sure, and the Nike items are awesome, so those I'm keeping too.  The 1/2 zip top is so ridiculously soft, and the sleeves are long enough that I can actually use the thumb holes!  I'm not sure about the mixed media shirts yet.  The colors are rich and gorgeous, so that's a plus.  On the negative side, they were insanely wrinkly when I took them out of the box, which doesn't bode well for their wear potential.  Also, I had to buy a size up from what I wanted in both colors because that was all that was available, so they are a bit big, and since the style is supposed to be oversized/long anyway, I'm not sure if they're too oversized now.  Need to ruminate on these for a bit longer.

I'm still also considering these items

Cara Accessories Sliced Leather Studded Bracelet - $31.90

Icon Eyewear Maureen Sunglasses - $12

Nike Poly Jacket - $56.90

Halogen Pencil Skirt - $49.90

The studded bracelet looks gorgeous, but I'm not sure I feel like spending $32 on a bracelet.  The sunglasses are just cute, but I definitely don't need them, and since summer is winding down, I don't think they're a very practical purchase even though they're so cheap.  The Nike jacket looks really nice too, but again, $57 for something I don't really need gives me pause.  The pencil skirt is the one I think I actually will get before the end of the sale (especially if I return one or both of the tops, above), I just cannot decide on a color.  I'm back and forth between this gorgeous purply color, storm gray, or camel.  Which would you choose?

And finally, of course I browsed the items I have no business buying with my current budget, so here's a little list of items I'm lusting after but in no way will I actually buy.

Hudson Skinny Jeans - $119.90

Nic + Zoe Sheath Dress - $94.90

Vince Camuto Hadley Bootie - $99.90

Tory Burch Horsebit Satchel - $298.90

Ugh, they all look so amazing, but sadly they are not in my budget at the moment.  The boots might make their way up to my "maybe" list if I have any extra cash laying around in the next few weeks... Have you picked up anything at the sale yet?

In a sort of unrelated vein, I'm so excited for the Olympic ceremonies to begin today!!!  Are you into it?  I love the Summer Olympics (gymnastics!) and I'm also a complete Anglophile despite not having been to London (the shame!), so I think this is a fantastic combination.  I've been really inspired by both the sports and London in general, so I put together a few "I Wish I Was Wearing" inspiration boards.

Anglophile by lauraallison

London Olympics by lauraallison featuring nivea lip care

But actually, let's get real - I really wish I was wearing this

source

Just kidding.  Or am I???

Thakoon for Nars

Some of you noticed my nails yesterday, and I'm so glad you did!  I painted them in those different colors because I was testing for today's post about the most recent Nars collection of polishes, Thakoon for Nars collection for Summer 2012.

Photo via Temptalia

From left to right, the Nars polishes are:
- Lal Mirchi (this was exclusive to a Bleecker St boutique, so it wasn't available near me at all)
- Anardana (azalea pink)
- Ratin Jot (orchid purple)
- Amchoor (bright yellow)
- Kutki (powder blue)
- Koliary (cyan blue)

These have been out for awhile, and I am very late to this party because I was deliberately trying to ignore them since I knew I would want one.  Clearly I didn't last long though, because I happened to wander over to Sephora last  week and was tempted the minute I saw the testers still available.  I tested each color on one hand in that pretty little combo you saw yeseterday, and then sadly realized that although there are a few colors left at Sephora (here), most are sold out, and obviously the ones I would want have been sold out for ages.

The next best thing is always a dupe hunt, so I went home and scoured my collection to find anything close.  First, here are a few closer up pics of the Nars colors.

Thakoon for Nars colors

Thumb: Kutki

L-R: Ratin Jot, Koliary, Anardana, Amchoor

Thakoon for Nars with flash

I found something pretty similar for each Nars color that I already owned - success!  I actually even went to Ulta and tested a few other colors, but nothing I could find was any more similar than what I already had.

China Glaze Flyin High

China Glaze Bahamian Escape

China Glaze Happy Go Lucky

Utla Socialite

China Glaze Heli-Yum

So first I compared the bottles to the swatches of Nars I had on paper.

Paper swatches are Nars Koliary and Kutki

Paper swatches are Nars Amchoor, Anardana, and Ratin Jot

Then I painted my right hand with the possible dupes, very hastily and with my subpar left-hand painting skills, so I apologize for how sloppy these look.

China Glaze Happy Go Lucky,

Ghina Glaze Heli-Yum

China Glaze Flyin High

Ulta Socialite

China Glaze Bahamian Escape

Dupes with flash - sorry for the blur, but for some reason these colors turned out more accurate than most of the non-blurry pics I had

Comparison time!

Left side (my right hand) - the dupes

Right side (my left hand) - Nars

Left side - China Glaze Bahamian Escape

Right side - Nars Kutki

Left side - the dupes

Right side - Nars

My verdict: Almost there, but not quite.

I didn't love Amchoor, Ratin Jot, or Koliary on me enough to buy them for $18 a pop anyway, so I wasn't too concerned with how close of dupes my similar polishes were.  The yellows, Amchoor and Happy Go Lucky, were definitely different - HGL is much brighter where Amchoor is more of a mustardy yellow.  Koliary and Flyin High were pretty close, though Koliary might be a bit brighter in real life.  Definitely in the same ballpark though.  Ratin Jot and Socialite were very different, so this I wouldn't consider a dupe at all.  I didn't love this one on me either, so I wasn't bothered by it, but if you were looking for something similar in this tone, Zoya Areej is pretty similar looking and is $10 cheaper.

The two I really liked were Anardana (the bright pink) and Kutki (powdery blue), so I was more focused on dupes for those.  China Glaze Heli-Yum ended up being really, really close to Anardana - definitely good enough for me, and these types of pinky reds are so common that I'm sure there are other similar colors around.  Not worth buying in my opinion, even though the formula was nice.  Finally, and most sadly, we have Kutki.  Bahamian Escape is so close to being close enough, but it's just not.  It's darker, not as white/bright of a base, and more subdued while Kutki is a glowy, white blue that I couldn't find a dupe for anywhere.  What's a girl to do???  Don't worry, I'll keep my eyes open for anything else similar that comes out and I'll report back if I ever find a good enough dupe!

What do you think - did you like this Nars collection?  Did you end up getting any of them?  Are these dupes close enough for you, or do you only consider them dupes if they're spot on?

Miami Vice

I think it's pretty clear that white is my go-to summer color, and for good reason - it goes with everything, it's fresh and light, and it keeps the sun from baking me into a steaming puddle every day on my way to work.  Win-win-win, right?  I've talked about my love for white blazers before and I've even discussed it its home context, the 80s cop sitcom, but I've never actually done the full on Miami Vice look - head to toe white with a bright, neon shirt.  No time like the present, eh?

I have to say though, it was 102 degrees here when I wore this last week, so I had to lose the cardigan, pronto.  I was hot and sweating after about 5 minutes of taking pictures outside.  I don't know how those guys did it - chasing bad guys in the humidity and heat, all while wearing blazers is pretty impressive!

I'm Wearing

J. Crew mixed-tape cardigan - $28 (exact)

Gap tudor pocket tank - $9 (exact in different colors)

Free People puka shell necklace (remember these???) - $12, old (similar)

J. Crew patent belt in neon peach - $9 (similar)

J. Crew cafe capris - $35 (exact)

Nine West wedges - $40, old (similar)

I decided to go with a white cardigan instead of a blazer and wedges instead of boat shoes to avoid a complete Don Johnson impersonation.  I also managed to avoid spilling anything on myself all day, which is quite a feat!  What do you think - would you wear a full white suit with bright colored accents?

And one last thing - linking up with The Pleated Poppy today, as usual!

Fluffy White

I'm feeling a little zombie-ish this morning because I got up to run before work and I'm definitely not used to doing anything that early except feebly lifting a coffee cup to my mouth, so please excuse how dumb I sound today.  Anyway, I wore this a few weeks ago at work.

I'm Wearing

Elementz (via Macy's) utility blouse - $24 (similar)

Daisy Fuentes (via Kohl's) gold disc necklace - $12 (similar)

LC Lauren Conrad (via Kohl's) gold owl pendant - old (similar but colorful!)

Gap gold bow buckle belt - old (similar)

Banana Republic Factory white skirt - $8 (similar shape with polka dots!)

Michael Kors gold watch - gift

Seychelles "Kick Up Your Heels" Wedges - $60ish, old (similar)

Things I really liked about this outfit: the fluffly white skirt, the colors together - love minty green, white, and tan!, the shoes (seriously love these - highly recommend Seychelles, every pair I own is ridiculously comfortable!), the pieces individually, how tan my legs look.  Things I didn't love so much: I think the shirt and the skirt ended up not working well together throughout the day.  They look fine here, but as I moved around, the shirt kept bunching and coming untucked, and leaving it untucked looked pretty sloppy so I had to keep adjusting it.  Also, the belt was kind of sliding around, and the owl necklace kept flipping around - wth, outfit?  Nothing would stay in place all day, it was seriously annoying.  So I kind of like this outfit and kind of don't.  I think next time I'll wear the skirt with a more structured top and a belt that stays in place a little better (maybe something thicker).  Do you take notes about things that didn't work in an outfit to adjust for next time?

Also linking up with Real Girl Glam today - check it out for wardrobe inspiration or to sumbit your own look!

Wedding Wear and Guest Posts

First, a little announcement: I'm guest posting over at J's Everyday Fashion today, so swing by to check it out if you have a chance!  And be sure to take a look around while you're there if you're not already familiar with J's blog - she puts together some really great outfits that give great inspiration for work and weekend!

Anyway, back to business.  I went to a college friend's wedding this weekend, and it was pretty hot around here so I stuck to the basics: breezy dress, sandals, statement necklace.  Finito.  What do you usually wear to weddings during the summer?  I have a few more weddings coming up this fall too, so I need to start coming up with some warmer options!

I'm Wearing

BCBG Teal Dress - gift (save, splurge)

Talbots flower flip flops - old, $15 (similar)

J. Crew white bubble necklace - $15 (via Ebay)

Kate Spade gold Ally aviator sunglasses - $100 (similar)

Gold clutch - $4, thrifted

I actually wore nude heeled sandals to the wedding but forgot to take pics - the flip flops were for the commute and the dancing, which we surprisingly did not do that much of.  Definitely still a good idea to always bring them just in case.  I also didn't actually wear the sunglasses in the ceremony, just in case you were wondering.  These sunglasses are one of the first "big ticket" items I bought for myself as a gift to myself for law school graduation.  Usually I try to keep the cost per item much lower than that, but I really, really wanted a good pair of gold aviators last year.  I was going to go with the classic Ray-Bans, but I tried these on and liked how they were a little narrower and seemed to fit my face well.  This $100 was a total splurge for me (even though that was a good discount because of the Kate Spade friends & family sale), especially for such a small item, but I absolutely wear these more than any other sunglasses I own.  I think the cost per wear is way less than even $1 at this point, which makes them quite a bargain in my book.  I'm trying to start focusing on this principle - quality over quantity - in my wardrobe more seriously, so stay tuned for some upcoming posts about my closet rehab project!

And I almost forgot to mention that I'm linking up with Molly's YOLO Mondays over at Still Being Molly today too, so head over there to link up your own post or check out everyone else's!

Insta Life

Happy weekend! What do you have going on today? I'm busy busy busy with a friend's wedding, but it should be really fun!

A few images from my world this week: storms and heat interspersed with bits of nice weather, banana nut muffins. You know, the good stuff. :)

It's Knot Easy Coming Up With New Puns

I really should have saved up some of my nautical puns since I seem to wear this style a lot, but I used most of them up back here.  This time I'll just throw in my favorite line from one of my all-time favorite movies:

Forrest: "Lieutenant Dan, what are you doing here?"

Lt. Dan: "I thought I'd try out my sea legs."

Forrest: "But you ain't got no legs Lieutenant Dan."
Lt. Dan: "Yes... I know that." (--> favorite line ever, I say it almost every day)

Anyway, I'll stop this before it gets into full-scale quoting madness and move on to my outfit.

It's pretty windy today, so my cardigan kept flying open like in a weird Kenny G. music video,  hence the clutching here.

I'm Wearing

J. Crew cardigan - $20 (exact in new fall colors)

Gap bow-neck tank - really old (similar look)

Michael Kors rose gold watch - gift

American Eagle boyfriend fit jeans - old

Gap city flats in rose gold - $9, old (Gap's version in different colors, similar color)

I'm really enjoying the dreary weather today for a nice change of pace.  It's windy, cool, and wet, which reminds me of the sea, so I went with it in this semi nautical looking outfit. Also, I love the new mixed-tape cardi I got in this pool blue color - I already have this cardi in like 10 colors, and I highly recommend it if you're in the market!  It's always on sale, it's really comfy, and it's perfect for chilly offices.

Onto more important things - what did you/are you scoping at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale today???  I'm heading over to check it out online right now!