My Monthly Purchases: September 2014

What a fabulous September it has been! It was packed with social activities (a lot of them wedding-related) and it's been sunny and quite warm most days.

I haven't really switched gears to fall yet - I'm still in the transitional phase. Most of my fall clothes are still packed away and I haven't even pulled out my boots. Tights have not been on my radar either... though one of these years I may crack and buy leg warmers... I think I could possibly pull them off if high boots were involved. Maybe I can stave off true cold weather until after we return from Vegas - fingers crossed!

Here's a rundown of what I bought this month. I'm linked with Franish, so head over and see what everyone else snagged!

Dress: Banana Republic
Discounted from $175 to $50
Do I need another LBD - probably not. It fit so well and was so cute... I'll be bringing this to Vegas for sure! This is listing on-line right now for much more than I paid for it in-store.

Earrings: Beck & Boosh
Discounted from $12 to $7
I finally had a chance to check out the Beck & Boosh kiosk at Mic Mac Mall. I've been eyeing these ladies on social media for quite some time. Their jewellery is so cute, unique, and affordable. Check out their website!

Tee: Target
Regular Price: $17
See my full post on this purchase here.

Shirt: Dynamite
Discounted from $40 to $28
This one one of the options I bought for the first part of my bachelorette party.  I meant to return the shirt I didn't wear, but I really liked it. I like the length of it - perfect for leggings or jeggings.

Shirt: Dynamite
Discounted from $30 to $21
I ended up wearing this to the earlier events of my bachelorette party - see the look here. It was really comfortable and I love the faux leather detail on the back.

Scarf: H&M
Used an H&M Conscious coupon. Regular $13. I got it for $8
I love the dark orange of this scarf and it's the only thing I've bought that's "fall-ish". I'm excited to pair it with my denim jacket.

Belt: Forever 21(not available on-line)
Discounted from $7 to $5
I purchased a beige waist belt to go with a sheath dress I bought last month.

Vest: Smart Set (not available on-line)
Discounted from $60 to $12
I've been wanting either a leather or denim vest for some time now. This is super soft faux leather and I can think of so may ways to style it.

Scarf: H&M (not available on-line)
Discounted from $13 to $7
My old black scarf has seen better days, so I bought a new one.

Value of Items: $367
Price I Paid: $155
I saved 58%

The end of September officially marks the last day of the third quarter. I spent $414 this quarter, leaving me under budget again (yay!), thereby allowing me to spend more in Vegas! If I add the fourth quarter budget ($500) to the money I had left over from earlier months (about $150), then I can spend $650 for the rest of the year... or  can buy barstools for the new house. We'll see where the money ends up!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Wedding Wednesday: The Bachelorette Party

I could barely contain my excitement! It started on Thursday afternoon, when one of the girls at work brought a giant bouquet of flowers to me at my desk. I had no clue who they were from, so I ripped open the card. I had to read it three times before I understood what it meant.

From my maid of honour and best friend, who by-the-way, lives in Ontario, the card said she was sorry to have missed my shower a few weeks ago (which I will do a post on soon, I promise!) but the only reason she didn't come was because she'd already planned to be in town for my bachelorette party... which I knew nothing about! So it was a surprise up until two days before the event! Perfect!

I spent Friday night painting my nails and toes, packing a bag, and deciding what to wear.

Saturday afternoon, I was whisked away (after giving giant hugs to my MOH/BFF) to an incredible hotel suite with a giant private balcony,  a harbour view, and two kitchens!

The first event was a wine and chocolate pairing at Obladee. We had two white wines and a red wine to pair with three different types of chocolate. Our wine guy was very knowledgable and taught us how to swirl and sniff and search for "notes" in our wine.

After the wine and chocolate we went back to the hotel, where there was a ton of food and drinks to be indulged in! MOH/BFF completely outdid herself with all the preparations. She should probably moonlight as a caterer.

We played a few laid-back games, I had many stories told about me, and the girls dressed me up in lovely accessories!

Details

Dress: Dynamite

Shoes: Nine West

Accessories: From the imaginations of my beautiful friends

Next, we went to Taboo for VIP bottle service. Drinks and dancing ensued. It was a wonderful chance to get together with some of my absolute favourite girls and have a night that rivalled any night I've ever had on the town. I seriously had the most fun I could ever imagine having and I was so touched that my friends (especially MOH/BFF) put that much effort into making sure I had a great time.

Even my drink had an accessory.

Hope you've enjoyed the post! We're four weeks away from tying the knot!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

All About the Booties

You know that feeling when you really want a pair of shoes to be as comfy on the run as they seemed to be in the store? I was so happy that these booties passed the real world test!

Suede often scares me because scuffs tend to be easier to see (and harder to hide) than leather, but these fit me so perfect, I had to have them. My feet are really narrow and these are slim enough that my feet feel perfectly hugged.

I was too excited when Nine West invited me to see their new store at Mic Mac Mall! This is the third pair of Nine West shoes for me, and they are is my absolute go-to brand for shoes that are hot and functional. A big thank you to the staff who put up with me trying on probably ten pairs of shoes before I made up my mind!

Details

Tank: Dynamite

Jeans: Gap

Booties: c/o Nine West Shoe Studio - Mic Mac Mall

Bracelet: Stella & Dot

I wore this to the afternoon portion of my amazing bachelorette party, a wine and chocolate tasting at Obladee. The rest of the details will be in a later post. I haven't had that much fun in a really long time. My fabulous maid of honour, group of friends, and family worked so hard to make it a perfect night for me. I was completely overwhelmed with all the love.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Layering Lace

Woo-hoo! Weekend time! Here's a work outfit I wore earlier in the week. I struggle to style this top, but I've finally found a way I like to wear it - under a blazer. Given that it's off-white, I've got lots of options for styling it in the future.

Details

Blazer and bracelet: Smart Set

Lace Shirt and Necklace: Joe Fresh

Jeans: Rock & Republic

Shoes: Call it Spring

There's so much going on lately - it's kind of overwhelming... but in a really really good way. I'm not sure what I'm going to do after the wedding and new house hype is over. Perhaps I'll go back to taking decent blog photos on a camera rather than a 2 year old android phone. Until then, crappy photos it is. Thanks for sticking with me regardless!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Wedding Wednesday: The Make-up

I like to collect make-up, but I don't actually wear a lot of it most days. It generally takes me about seven minutes to do my everyday face - longer if I'm doing something special to my eyes or going somewhere of importance.

Some time ago, I booked a company called Glam Squad to come to our hotel room to do hair and make-up for the wedding. I figured that would be much easier and more relaxing than going out to get it done. They do airbrush make-up, which I'm excited to try!

I've been scouring the internet and magazines to look for a sample makeup picture for the big day, but I have yet to find one that captures what I'm looking for. I don't want full on glamorous smoky eyes, nor do I want the "no make-up make-up". This video is the closest thing I can find, but her lips are a bit too light for what I want, as my lips are naturally dark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwxFolL9nxE

Isn't she talented and so pretty?

I plan on bringing my own lipstick as I doubt whatever they put on me will last thorough the whole day. I've been stalking visiting the MAC store lately to try on various lip colours and I think I found the winner!

This is MAC Whirl lipliner with Soft Sell Pro Longwear lipstick.

What do you think of this for my wedding lips? What did you wear on your lips for your wedding day?

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Target x Altuzarra

Oh how I adore Target designer collaborations! I was up bright and early on Sunday morning to explore Altuzarra's new line for Target. I had no competition for the goods - the store was almost empty.

I was open-minded and tried on a bunch of things, but ultimately only walked away with the one thing that I expected to buy based on the photos I'd seen online.

The first thing I tried on was a STUNNING black trench coat. This would have come home with me if it were a bit shorter. Being 5'3'', this length was not flattering for me unless I were to wear sky-high heels all the time, which just isn't going to happen. The lighting in the fitting room didn't do this coat justice - it is beautiful in real life.

Haha! I look like a scary criminal. I could have cropped my head off but it was just too funny.

This animal print didn't do anything for me, but it would look great on someone who can pull off very warm toned patterns.

I didn't get a photo of the ankle strap heels on me. They were beautiful, but too wide for my very narrow feet.

Image from Target

 This printed skirt was really flattering, but given that I already own a snakeskin skirt that I haven't worn yet, I probably couldn't justify spending the $35 on another one. Plus, the slit was too high to be worn to work.

 I really liked this one-piece dress, and I'll watch for it to go on clearance. I find that Target puts the collaborations on for half-off quite quickly (usually 3-4 weeks after the release), so unless  I can't live without it, I tend to wait for them to go on sale.

What a fun coat! I found the fasteners hard to manage though and felt the all-over faux fur a bit too overwhelming for my small frame.

This was the piece I ended up getting from the collection. It was a toss-up between this tee and the bow-blouse in the same pattern, but I figured the tee was a bit more versatile - I can dress it up or down.

Image from Target

The blouse version

I'll be checking out the other Target stores in the area (I only hit up one of three on Sunday) for missing pieces. I hope to see the two styles of boots and the green snakeskin pieces. Different stores get different pieces of the collection, so be sure to check all of the stores you can if you don't' find a certain piece. Take a peek at the whole collection here.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Grand Opening: Nine West

I've got some exciting news for those of you in the Halifax area!

One of the stores I've been longing to be brought here is finally ready to cut the ribbon!

Nine West is my go-to for shoes that look hot but are unbelievably comfortable. When I say comfy, I mean, got-me-from-the-Lower-Deck-to-the-McDonald's-on-Spring-Garden-Road kind of comfy. And these are 4 inch heels we're talking about!

I own three pair of Nine West shoes currently, but you can bet I will soon be adding more to my collection! I wish I could be there for the ribbon-cut, but sadly I have to work.

Here are a few of my favourite looks I've styled with my current Nine West heels.

Photo c/o Amanda Brownhill Photography

A big congrats and to Nine West for finally coming to play on the east coast! We are so glad to have you.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Bucket Full

When September is nicer than August, it makes sense to keep wearing white.

Details

Button-up: Club Monaco

Tee and belt: Gap

Jeans: Joe Fresh

Bracelets: Stella & Dot and Smart Set

Sandals and Sunnies: American Eagle Outfitters

Bag: Old Navy

Don't mind the off-centre belt buckle

This bucket bag has been on high rotation all summer.  I think this might be a style that sticks around, along with the leather backpack. I will be on a black-bag mission in Las Vegas. Do you have any favourites to recommend?

XOXO
Glitterary Grl

For the Love of Python

There comes a point in every fashionista's life where she picks her animal print of choice. I do believe I have chosen mine - and it is python. I've always had a thing for reptiles.

Details

Jeans: Guess by Marciano

Kimono blouse and necklace: H&M

Sunnies: Coach

Shoes: Call it Spring

Bag: Danier

Bracelet: Stella & Dot

Watch: Guess

I wore this for a supper out with one of our favourite couples at Il Mercato. Both of us ladies were in animal print! I should have nabbed a pic of my friend Shannon, who has a wardrobe that I envy. (swoon).

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

My Monthly Purchases: August 2014

August is notorious for being one of my higher spending months. I blame it on the enormous September magazine issues - not even that I necessarily buy "fall" clothing, but the media focus on fashion in general makes me crave new things.

Instead of a monthly budget, I do a seasonal budget, which is $500 per quarter. Money I don't spend in one season, I roll forward to the next. I try as much as possible to wait for things to go on sale, as my closet really has no "holes" and my buys are almost always wants versus needs.

My first two purchases were entirely due to waking up one morning and being worried that I didn't have enough dresses I wanted to wear to get me through the wedding months (bridal showers, girls days/nights out, Vegas nights, and of course the Britney concert). Gotta love Forever 21 for fixing my panic and only spending $38! Pictures to be revealed as blog posts at a later date!

Dress: Forever 21
Regular price: 16.80
Dress Forever 21
Regular price: 21.80

Kimono: H&M (no longer available on-line)
Discounted from $30 to 10.50
Python print is my fave! Couldn't put this back on the rack for $10. This will be featured later this week in a blog post.

Necklace: H&M (no longer available on-line)
Discounted from $12.95 to $3.50
A pretty gold chain with gold "pipes" hanging from it. I kind of forgot I bought this until I prepared this post. Mind you, most of my jewellery is living in a travel case right now while we are between houses. I'll wear it soon and post a pic.

Tees: Gap
Discounted from $34 for both to $16 for both
I hate it when white tees start looking dingy. At $8 each I bought one in v-neck and one in scoop.

Crossbody bag/clutch: Danier (no longer available on-line)
Discounted from $99 to $19
When I got the email alert for this flash sale, I stopped at Danier on the way home from work. What a super-cute bag for a steal. There isn't much room in it for anything beyond the basics, but that's okay. For a night out, less is more. I chose this colour as I already have this size in white, purple, and black. I'll feature it this week in a blog post.

Tee: Short Presents
Regular price: $20
My friend Kayla (fellow blogger at Short Presents) has been selling these sweet tees for a few months now. I can't get enough of black and white and I can't wait to style this with either of my black and white printed skirts. Thanks, love. xo

Tee: Old Navy (kids section) (no longer available on-line)
Discounted from $17 to $5
Gold foiled palm trees? Yes please.

Shirt: Old Navy
Discounted from $23 to $11
More black and white. Someone stop me...

Shorts: Banana Republic
Discounted from $50 to $11
These were an extra 40% off the sale price and then I got an extra 20% because one of the two fasteners is missing (cannot even tell). I ruined my other white shorts with sunless tanner (boo) so these can replace them. I love anything safari...

Skirt: Banana Republic
Discounted from $70 to $15
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. I love this colour. I will wear this a lot. So glad I went to the Factory Store for the 40% off sale. The regular store has stunning stuff for this season as well. Marissa Webb is the new creative director, and she really killed it with the fall line. I want everything!

Skirt: Smart Set
Discounted from $39.00 to $12
So cute. Pleats and polka dots. Twelve bucks. Good length for work.

Pants: Joe Fresh
Regular price $34 (used a $10 GC so I paid $24 with no tax added)
I can't decide yet if I will keep these or not. I do love them (army green again...), but they are very close to the faux-leather pants I got at H&M last year. They are crazy-comfy though and flattering enough that I can wear them with a shorter shirt (the H&M ones... not so much... saggy bum). I love the black piping too! Did I just type myself into keeping them?

Value of items: $468
Price I paid: $186 
I saved 60%

This leaves me with $241 left to spend this quarter, which ends Sept 30.

I'm going to try hard to spend as little as possible in September. My Vegas shopping list has very few items on it, but they may be pricey. I plan on looking for a new black handbag, a gold watch, and black closed-toe heels. If I find heels here, I may buy them. I know I have a lot more choice in Vegas, but my feet are so narrow and hard to fit that I like the option of returning the shoes if I wear them around the house and they end up not working for me.

I'm linked with Franish today - check out how the other bloggers did with their August budgets!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl