Budget Rewind - February 2013

In February 2013, I didn't even make a budget collage, because I just bought 2 dresses before I made that post, and then I bought a couple other things that I mentioned in the March post.  For the rewind, I'm including all of the things I technically bought in February, and I made a little makeshift collage for this post.  

Good

• Limited Striped Dress:  $18 (originally $98) - Oh how I love this dress!  I've worn it so much and still love it.  
• Kohl's dress:  $6.40 (originally $64) - plus I had a gift card, so it was free.  I wore this dress a few times before the seam ripped, and then I turned it into a top, which I still like quite a bit.  So bummer that it was poor quality, but I think I'll continue to wear the top. 
• Walmart Shorts: $3 - these were $3 and I'm pretty sure I've worn them a bazillion times, although never on the blog, because they are super casual.  You can sort of see them here, in our mini-golf picture.  

Ugly

• Walmart Tank Tops: $5 - just a stupid impulse buy before we left on vacation.  They were cheap and cute, so I figured it would be a good idea.  What I didn't realize is that they were SO cheap that the colors actually ran when they encountered some combination of water, sweat, and sunscreen (which was kind of important on a cruise), so I had awkwardly dyed inner arms.  Not a cute look!  These went in the donation pile immediately when we got home.  Honestly, I probably should have just thrown them in the trash!
• Merona Swim Coverup:  $20 - Yep, another impulse buy.  I wanted another swim coverup, and couldn't find one I loved, so I just got this one that I kind of liked.  I still have it and still kind of like it, but it's not enough of a cover for me to wear it anywhere other than the beach.  Too short and too see through.  I've actually wondered if I could make it work as a tunic with a tank underneath it, but I don't know.  I should probably just send into ThredUp and hope to make a few bucks back.    

There are no medium or bad things for this month.  I have extreme feelings about these things.  And what have we learned?  I like dresses and I shouldn't panic and buy stupid things before vacation, except awesome shorts.   

Budget Rewind - February 2014

Last February, I didn't do a whole lot of shopping.  Just a few things to review:

Good

• Target Workout tanks:  $13 each - well, I don't blog my workout gear, so you'll just have to take my word that I've worn these quite a bit.  I was just super happy to find sleeveless workout tops that weren't super skimpy or lowcut.  And these have been perfect!   

Medium

• Lands End Tankini Top (here and here):  $60 each - planned to only keep one, and ended up returning this one, as it was way too low cut!) - I wore the one I kept on vacation and it was just okay.  And then I haven't gone swimming much.  I hope this will be a swim top I can continue to wear, as it's a pretty classic style, but time will tell.  I just really hate how expensive supportive swimsuit tops can be!  
• Target Sailboat print tank:  $6 (originally $20) - I was going to put this in the good category, and then I searched my archives and it looks like I've only blogged it once.  Surely I have worn it more than that, right?  I think.  I don't know.  But I still have it and still like it and hope I can wear it some this summer! 

So nothing in the bad or ugly categories, which is pretty great!  

PMT - Belt Something

Well, I'm still working through neglected items, which brings me to this scarf!  My sister-in-law gave it to me for my birthday a couple years ago and I thought it was so fun and I could just wear it with all the colors!  And then?  I don't know.  It must have gotten buried under all the other scarves and therefore neglected.  Have I really only worn it once?  Not cool!

I was anxious to wear my new maternity dress from Loft, and I think they look quite nice together.  Add a cardigan for warmth, and a belt for the PMT challenge this week, and I think I have a winning combination.  

Here's a close-up, so you can see the elephants better, and you can also see the quiltiness of my dress.

Scarf: Gift
Cardigan: Gap outlet
Belt: Chinese Laundry
Dress: Loft Maternity
Leggings: Old Navy
Boots: Madden

Green Stripes

After recently discovering that I had actually NEVER blogged this green striped blouse, I figured I should make sure to wear it again soon.  I was playing around on Polyvore and thought it would look pretty cute layered under this lace-front sweater, and and outfit idea was born.  I quite like how it came together - and a random woman that I walked past at the mall agreed, so I think it was a winner!
Here are some of the other outfit ideas I came up with.  I'm hoping to think of even more!

Top: Old Navy
Sweater: Loft outlet
Jeans: Old Navy maternity
Shoes: Old Navy

February Shopping

Well, I'm at the point where I really shouldn't be buying maternity clothes unless I am desperate, because I only have a few months left.  But I'm also at the point where some of my earlier maternity items aren't fitting as well, so I took the plunge on a few things. 

Here's the breakdown of what I bought (and then more thoughts below):

Target
Leopard print Ona flats: $8
Maternity White tee: $5

Old Navy Maternity
skinny jeans: $28
black and gray leggings: $18
black tee: $6


Loft Maternity (Note - I just split the shipping costs and added half to each item)
Gray quilted dress: $16
Chambray popover: $12

Christopher & Banks
Red Scarf: gift

Total Spent: $93

Gift Money used: $70

Total out of budget: $23

Since it has been freezing, I went ahead and ordered a couple pairs of leggings from Old Navy.  I think they will work perfectly under dresses for the next couple months and they are warmer and more comfortable than tights.  I also have been wearing jeans more often, and my 2 pairs of skinny jeans with the lower maternity band aren't as comfortable, so I ordered the full belly panel option.  So much better!  Then I needed to spend $4 more to get free shipping (or pay $7 for shipping), so I added the black tee shirt.  I think it will be a good basic piece!

Ever since I ordered a few things from Loft in January, I have had my eye on the Chambray popover.  It was more expensive than I was willing to spend for awhile, but then the price dipped, and I have been really wanting a maternity chambray.  Of course, I had to look at the other maternity items and fell in love with the gray dress.

And I just picked up a few things at Target when I was grocery shopping.  No idea how I even end up in the shoes and clothes sections.  It is one of the great mysteries in life.  I was very happy to find some comfortable leopard flats!  I have the Ona flats in a few other colors and really like them, so I think this is a good decision.  Plus I had a gift card!  I also ordered the Target Maternity Chambray Tunic online, but I didn't like it, so I will be returning it!

As always, I'm linking up with Fran and the Budgeting Bloggers.

Paisley and Polka

Two wrongs don't make a right, but 2 neglected items sometimes make an outfit!   I've only worn the polka dot popover once, according to the blog.  That doesn't seem right, but who knows.  The paisley cardigan is my real mystery.  I really love it, and wore it 3 times within a few weeks of buying it.  And then... nothing.  I think it got buried in my mess of cardigans, and then I just completely forgot it was even an option.  I've rearranged my cardigan and sweater drawers so everything is showing, so I hope that will prevent future forgetfulness of favorite sweaters!  

Top: Gap factory
Cardigan: Loft
Skirt: Gibson & Latimer
Boots: Madden

Neglected Plaid Popover Ideas

Well, it hasn't quite been a year since I blogged this shirt.  I'm sure I've worn it a handful of times, but I guess not as much as I should.  I bought it as a replacement for this one, which I loved, but then it got too tight.  The first one just had colors that played better with the rest of my closet.

As part of my plan to wear certain items more, I've been building Polyvore sets with outfit ideas.  Here are 4 of my ideas for this shirt.  Confession - I actually wore the navy cardigan option over Thanksgiving, but didn't take a picture.  Help me out - how else would you wear this top?  There have to be ideas other than jeans and white!

Cardigan: JCF
Shirt: JCF
Jeans: Old Navy Maternity
Boots: Madden

Hat Lady

I like hats, but I don't have very many, and I rarely wear the ones that I have.  I think this is because I wouldn't wear a hat to work, and the majority of my outfits are for work.  On this particular day, I went hatless to work, but took the afternoon off, put my hat on, and ran some errands.  And I think this hat might come in handy when I'm a brand new mom and can't wash my hair on a regular basis.  Or at least, that's what I hear will happen.  


Cardigan: Urban Outfitters
Hat: JCF
Scarf: Charming Charlie
Tee: Gap
Jeans: Old Navy Maternity
Shoes: Gap

Neglected Paisley Skirt

This skirt was near the top of the list of things I've been neglecting that I still really like and want to keep.  Granted, I'm sentimental about it.  I bought the dress when John and I were engaged, wore it to my bachelorette party, on our honeymoon, and several other picture-taking occasions during the first couple years of marriage.  I just really loved it.  And then I turned it into a skirt, because the top didn't really fit anymore, but I couldn't bear to part with it.  I still love it, but the purplish-blue color in it makes it tricky for me to style.

I was going to wear it with my black sweater and black blazer, and this mint necklace, but then I switched out the sweater for this ruffly maternity tank top, and then I thought the blazer looked weird, so I went with a cardigan instead.  I've been doing that a lot lately - I think because my body isn't shaped the way I think it is, so things don't fit as expected anymore.  (Hashtag - pregnancy problems)

Cardigan: Gap
Necklace: Limited
Top: Kohl's Maternity
Skirt: H&M (refashioned from a dress)
Tights: H&M
Boots: Madden

The Green Argyle Sweater Story

 

Once upon a time, way back in 2009, my sister asked my husband for some sweater recon a few weeks before Christmas time.  Then I was packing for our trip to Indy and was deciding which sweaters to bring.  I was thinking about bring this one.  John asked in a very accusatory manner "What is that?" while pointing at my sweater drawer.  "My sweater drawer?" I was confused.  "You have TWO sweater drawers??" "um, yeah... they don't all fit in one."  I had no idea what the issue was, but he was acting super weird.

On Christmas morning, I opened the present from my sister, and it was the sweater I am wearing in today's pictures.  And then they told me the whole story.  She had asked him if I had a "green argyle sweater" and he searched in my one sweater drawer, confirming that I did not.  And then at the very last minute, he saw my green argyle sweater in my sneaky second drawer, and was very worried.

The good news is that these 2 sweaters aren't really similar at all.  One is all green, one is mostly gray with a little bit of green.  One is lighter with 3/4 sleeves.  One is wool and long-sleeve.  So there was no great crisis.  And besides, I have since gotten rid of that other sweater, but I still have this one.

I realized that some of my favorite cozy sweaters never make it to the blog, because I tend to wear them on super cold snowy days with just jeans and boots, and I don't always get pictures on those days, of those kind of boring outfits.

Sweater: Gap
Necklace: gift
Top: JCF
Jeans: Old Navy Maternity
Boots: Madden

Neglected - Pink and Gray Stripes

When I was looking through my closet and blog archives, I was surprised at how many things I haven't worn in a long time.  So in the heat of the moment, I decided I should add "last date blogged" to my closet spreadsheet.  It's getting really nerdy, you guys.  Anyway, it has been really interesting for me to see what things I am neglecting!  Some of the items just aren't making the blog, like my fuchsia stocking cap, which I wear almost every day of the winter, but remove before taking pictures, because it is outerwear!   But other things are really just taking up space in my closet and not being worn.  I found 72 items that haven't been on the blog in the last year.  And since I blog almost every outfit, this means I haven't worn most of these things in the last year.

Some of these items are going straight in the donate/sell piles.  But a few are things I like, and decided I needed to wear.  So I'm going to be working these into the rotation, and hopefully get away from having so much stuff that I don't even wear!

Which brings me to this sweater.  If memory serves, I bought it in 2009 on the day after Christmas, when Gap was having their big buy one, get one free sale on sweaters.  I bought this gray sweater in the same trip, but it gets worn a lot more.  I do think I wore this striped sweater quite a bit for a couple years, but just not since I started blogging.  Or maybe I wear it on days when I don't take pictures?  I don't know.  But it's pretty and cozy and I think it deserves some love.  So I wore it on a very cold day in early February.  

Oh, and just for the record, I should have done the trick where you wear a camisole between the button shirt and the sweater, because I have some awkward little bumps where the buttons are sticking out.  (And I feel the need to point out that my belly button has not popped at this point of pregnancy).

Sweater: Gap
Shirt: JCF
Necklace: F21
Jeans: H&M Maternity
Boots: Madden

PMT - Wear Something Neglected for 6 months

This week's challenge is to wear something that has been neglected for 6 months.  I went looking through my archives and was shocked at the things I would say I really love, but haven't worn in a long time.  Like this cardigan.  Is it even possible that I haven't worn it in over a year??  I mean, I might have worn it and not blogged it, but even so, it's crazy to have gone a whole year without wearing this in a blog outfit.  I love this cardigan!  So here it is being reintroduced to the world, and hopefully will get more action in the future.

This is also a copycat outfit, because that just makes life easier.  I stole the idea from Caroline over at Tasteful Style, because she just looked so great in maroon and polka dots!  And I added the scarf for a little extra warmth, and coverage.  I wish my dress had a higher neckline like hers!

Cardigan: Old Navy
Scarf: Loft
Dress: Loft outlet
Tights: H&M
Boots: Madden

Legs for One Day

On the most glorious of all January days, the temperature actually topped out at 61 and I was the happiest girl in the world.  I took advantage of the opportunity to wear bare (bear) legs, and normal shoes (not boots!).  It was so great.  And John may have called me crazy, because the low was still in the 40s, and it was pretty windy, and I didn't see anyone else in bare legs.  So maybe I am crazy.  But you know, I'm glad I got one day where I didn't have to wear boots or tights.  And then it snowed like 2 days later, so it's a good thing I took advantage of the nice weather!

Dress: Younker's Maternity
Scarf: Calvin Klein
Jacket: Target
Shoes: Target

Bok Choy Baby

Enough people have asked.  I figured I should finally turn to the side and prove that I am indeed looking quite pregnant these days.  This is actually my outfit from yesterday.  28 weeks pregnant, for those of you who care about that type of thing.  According to my super helpful "what type of produce is your baby" app, this kid is roughly the size of a Bok Choy.  Right.  Super helpful.  I had to look it up, because I didn't know what it was.  Answer: fancy Chinese cabbage.  

In honor of Valentine's week, I decided to try this skirt with the belly band, and it sort of worked.  Warning to anyone who wants to try this trick in the future - satiny fabrics do not cling properly to the band, so you have to be careful any time you sit down or stand up to make sure your clothes are still properly aligned.  Since I mostly sit at my desk all day, this wasn't a huge issue. 

Cardigan: JCF

Tee: Liz Lange

Necklace: Old Navy

Skirt: Dillard's

Tights: Target

Boots: Madden

PMT - Wear Red, Pink, or Purple

Since Valentine's Day is coming up, the challenge this week is to wear red, pink, or purple.  I decided to try the red and pink route again, like I did last year.  First, I pulled out all the red and pink items from my closet and laid them out on my bed to see what tones would look good together, and remind myself of what I even have.  I ended up with this lighter pink skirt that I've been neglecting since the 30X30 got over, and my red polka dot scarf, which I should also wear more often.  A little gray and black helped tone down the obscene Valentinesy vibe, I think.  At least, I hope.

Anyway, I thought it turned out pretty cute, so that's what matters, right?

Jacket: Target
Scarf: Target
Sweater: Gap
Skirt: Loft
Boots: Madden

Camelot

This is what I wore recently when I went to see the Camelot musical.  I'll be honest, most of my knowledge about King Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere is from the movie First Knight, which I thought was just about the coolest movie ever when I was 10.  The broadway show didn't quite measure up.  I mean, it was okay, but just not amazing like I expect my musicals to be.  None of the music stuck with me at all, I didn't sense any chemistry between Guinevere and Lancelot, and honestly, King Arthur just seemed way more likable, so I don't understand why she would even be tempted to leave him for Lancelot.  But whatever.  It was a fun way to spend the evening.  And it was warm enough to not wear tights, so all around a pretty good day.

Oh, and I might be a jerk for saying this, but theaters really need to have something in place for larger folks.  These seats are pretty tiny to start out with, and I was unfortunately sitting next to a guy who really needed 2 seats.  Southwest would have totally kicked him off a flight.  And yet, I had to make myself as small as possible and lean into my MIL's space to avoid contact.  I wondered if I should speak to an usher at the intermission, but what are they going to do?  And then I'd really feel like a jerk.

So maybe I would have enjoyed the show more if that hadn't been an issue.  Hopefully that guy doesn't also have season tickets.

Cardigan & Scarf: Gap
Belt: Limited
Dress: Loft Maternity
Boots: Madden

Get a Job

On Friday, Brynn shared 4 jobs she has had over the years.  I thought it was fun to read, so I decided to steal it.  Because that's what blogging is all about!  So here are the jobs I had before I graduated from college and got a real job:

• Babysitting - one summer (I think I was 10 or 11), I babysat my cousin all day every day.  When I think about this now, it seems crazy.  I don't think my nieces who are 10 even stay home by themselves, let alone taking care of a toddler.  We watched The Lion King about 4000 times.  And I'm pretty sure I got paid $25 per week.  So, it wasn't a high-paying job, but at the end of the summer, I was able to buy myself a boombox (with a CD player) and a Shania Twain CD.  At the time, it seemed like a fortune.  I babysat a handful of times after that, but I wasn't really the babysitting type.  
• Mowing Lawns - my brother started a lawn-mowing business and I was his employee.  Again, I don't think I got paid enough for my efforts, but we had fun, and I got a pretty great farmer's tan.  And a lot of girls I knew didn't even know how to start a mower, so I am glad I have that particular skill, even if I haven't used it in many years.
• Law Firm Runner - in high school, I got my first "real" job, where I actually got a paycheck.  One of my friends had been working for her dad's law firm as a runner, and she quit to do something else, so they hired me.  This was when I thought I wanted to go to law school someday.  I quickly changed my mind.  But it was a pretty awesome job.  Filing was super easy, if at times boring.  I loved running errands around downtown, and going to the different courthouses.  Plus some of the other runners were cute boys, which was a nice bonus to a teenage girl. 
• Receptionist - when I moved to Indiana, I worked for a gastroenterology office as a receptionist.  Here's the thing, I hated answering the phones, so this was not an ideal job for me.  Plus patients would call with extremely gross complaints, when they really should have just asked to talk to the nurse.  And I had to file the pictures from the colonoscopies, which you can't do without looking at the pictures.  The best part of this job was that we worked 9 hour days, and then closed at noon on Fridays.  
• Target - another summer in Indiana, I ended up working at the Target.  It was weird, but pretty easy.  I got very tired of wearing red and khaki.  Whenever I am back in Indy at that Target, I sometimes see people who I was friends with for 3 months, and I'm sure they don't remember me, but I feel awkward like I should say hi.  
• Hotel Gift Shop - during college, I got hired at a local Husker gear store.  I didn't realize the owner also ran the gift shop at a hotel, which was where I mostly worked.  Again, not a high-paying job, but it was perfect during college.  I usually worked the closing shift, from about 4-10, and it was usually really slow, so I could do homework or just watch TV or read a book.  The worst part was on Husker football game days, because we ALL had to work ALL day, but he let us leave for the game if we had tickets.  So I'd wake up at like 5am, work until game time, run to the stadium where my friends were hopefully saving me a seat, and then a few minutes before the game was over, I'd run back to the store and work until 10pm or so.  In hindsight, I'm not sure how legal that was, because we didn't get breaks other than for the game.  Anyway, the Huskers were pretty terrible those years, so I started going back to my apartment during the game to take a nap and eat something.  

So there you have it - my random jobs over the years.  The law firm was probably my favorite.  What was your favorite part-time job?

Cardigan: Gap
Top: JCF
Pants: Old Navy Maternity
Shoes: JCF

Starry Skies

This tee shirt makes me happy, because it's just a basic navy tee, but then it's covered in glitter.  It reminds me of a starry sky.  And more specifically of that line from the Incubus song where he says "the sky resembles a back-lit canopy with holes punched in it".  Which I thought was a super romantic and profound description when I was about 15.  And I still think it's a kind of cool line.

As a city girl, I don't get to see the stars as much as I wish I did, especially in the winter when it is too cold to be out at night.  I don't particularly like camping, but I do love getting out away from the city lights to see the stars.  I took an astronomy class in college, and I've forgotten most of the things we learned.  My professor was an old British guy with a terrible stutter who apparently was really into medieval instruments on the side.  He was a character for sure, but I wish I remembered more of what he tried to teach me.  As is, I can pick out just a few constellations.  My favorite is Cassiopeia, because it's just a big W and pretty easy to spot most of the time.

Cardigan: Gap
Tee: Gap Maternity
Jeans: Old Navy Maternity
Shoes: Old Navy

Snowy Week

As usual, I'm about 2 weeks behind on posting pictures, so this outfit wouldn't work at all this week, due to the excessive amounts of snow we currently have.  After a big snow on Saturday/Sunday, schools were all canceled on Monday, and then more snow early Wednesday morning means schools were cancelled yesterday. Of course, I still had to go to work.  Anyway, it's really cold and snowy and the roads aren't great, but that is to be expected this time of year.  And January was mostly nice, so I can't complain too much.

I wore this particular outfit to Sunday evening church a couple weeks ago when it wasn't freezing out.  I was happy to break out my polka dot flats instead of wearing boots every single day!  

Scarf; Target

Top: Kohl's Maternity

Jacket: JCF

Jeans: H&M

Shoes: Gap

Currently February

A couple weeks ago, I had the idea of wearing my new black pixie pants with this green blouse and my gray sweater.  I put it on and the proportions were just not looking right.  But I had in my head that this blouse needed to be paired with black and gray.  And then I happened upon this skirt at the Gap and it all came together.  Just pretend I ironed the skirt before wearing it, okay?  And hey, none of these are maternity clothes, so that's kind of exciting!

Oh, and it's the first Wednesday of the month, so I'm linking up with the Currently ladies (Anne and Jenna)!

Reading - Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman.  I've never been into collections of short stories, but I've liked a few recently, and I have to read anything by Neil Gaiman.  I've only read the first few stories, but I like them (no big surprise there)

Pinning - ALL THE BABY THINGS!

Eating - whatever sounds good at that very moment.  I'm not one of those pregnant ladies who wants to overshare about all my symptoms, but I think I am done with the"feeling pretty good" portion of pregnancy.  I'm now in the awkward part where I will be starving, and then 10 minutes later feel completely stuffed, even though I didn't eat anything.  I think it has a lot to do with where the baby is deciding to hang out compared to my internal organs.  So weird.

Anticipating - May 4th is exactly 3 months away, so I'm anticipating having a tiny human arrive soon!  And sort of panicking about all the things I want to get done before then.

Sweater: Gap
Blouse: Old Navy
Necklace: InPink
Skirt: Gap
Tights:Old Navy
Boots: Madden

PMT - Try a New Hairstyle

I basically have 3 hairstyles - down, top pinned back, bun, braid.  But PMT's challenge for this week was to try a new hairstyle, so I went with it and tried this braided half-up-do thing.  And my hair was extra fluffy because I tried to skip the mousse and just use my leave-in conditioner.  All that added up to me feeling very much like a medieval princess.  You know, since they loved wearing denim jackets.

Another big win for fake spring - light jacket!  no tights! outdoor pictures! (Granted - we got totally spoiled last week and then it snowed all weekend, so I'm back to many layers!)

Jacket: JCF
Scarf: H&M
Dress: Old Navy Maternity
Belt: Chinese Laundry
Boots: Madden

Wooden Accessories

Just so you know, I've been wearing these sunglasses a lot, and I still like them!  And they really seemed perfect with my wooden necklace and this outfit.  I just need more wooden accessories, I guess!  Or maybe one necklace and one pair of sunglasses is a reasonable amount for my "not very earthy" style.

And just a little weekend review - Saturday was another busy day getting stuff done around the house.  Then John's parents came over and the guys painted in the baby's room.  I'm so excited to see it coming together!  And then it snowed all day Saturday and into Sunday morning, so church was canceled, and we just stayed in on Sunday.  The snow is so pretty, but I'm not excited to go outside any time soon (too bad I have to work today!)  And since my posts are about 2 weeks behind reality, I'm looking back fondly on the day when I could stand out on the deck in just a cardigan and take pictures!

Sunglasses: HF Eyewear
Cardigan: Gap
Dress: Younkers
Necklace: Israel
Belt: Madden
Tights: H&M
Boots: Madden