Fall-ish

Nova Scotia went from hot to chilly pretty much overnight! What a wonderful summer it was though... As amazing as summer heat is, we have a really beautiful fall. Fashion girls get excited over layers, so I'm okay with the temperature drop.

Details

Sweater: Guess

Scarf: Zara

Jeans: Madewell

Hat: TNA from Aritzia

Sneakers: Puma

Bag: Kate Spade

Bag Pom: TopShop

After pining over these sneakers for a good six months, I finally found them at Winners (at less than half price), thanks to the sweet salesperson at Little Burgundy who told me they were there!

This weekend we hung out with finds at the Stubborn Goat beer garden on the Halifax Waterfront and then stopped by The Dairy Bar for a yummy vanilla bean soft serve.

My prediction for what will be coming soon on the blog... blanket scarves. Tons and tons of blanket scarves. Hello Fall!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

The Chop

Even though it's been many years since I've been back-to-school, in September I always get the feeling that I want something new, something different. Instead of new clothes being the focus this year, I decided new hair would even better.

Details

Shirt: H&M

Skirt: Club Monaco

Sandals: Aldo

Necklace: Forever 21

Bracelet: Gift

I was 100% confident sitting down and having Lindsay chop four inches off. I knew it would look so much healthier. Of course, we forgot to get a before and after photo at the salon, as we usually do!

I forgot how much I like this skirt - it was hiding behind a few other skirts that I ended up donating. I'm trying to weed out my closet as best I can. I pulled out some of my fall/winter things the other day to see if anything needed replacing. I'm on the hunt for a great basic black crew neck sweater.

Did you make any big changes in preparation for fall?


XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Life Hack: Carry-On Travel

On our recent trip to Toronto, we decided to travel carry-on only. I'd never gone on a plane trip without a big suitcase before, so I knew I'd better do some planning if I was going to make it work! The trip was three nights, two days, and with hot temperatures, which meant I didn't need to bring any bulky clothes. Here are a few tips I have from packing a carry-on.

I went to MEC and bought two packing cubes. These reminded me a bit of the compression bags I used when I backpacked. The difference is, your clothes get really wrinkled in compression bags because you are squishing them to get all the air out. With packing cubes, they just keep things separated without removing the air. I rolled my clothes before placing them in the packing cubes, which I always did as a backpacker as well. Socks can be packed inside shoes to save space. 

I made sure to choose my clothes based on my shoes. That sounds a bit backwards, but trust me. Shoes take up a lot of space and weight in a suitcase, so if you pick sensible shoes and then base your outfits around those, you should be good!  The shoes I picked to take with me were my black leather Converse and my Aldo black sandals. Picking two shoes in the same color meant the clothes I brought would go with either pair. 

Try to wear your heaviest bulkiest clothes on the plane.  My plane  attire was jeans, a lightweight cardigan, a tank, top and my Converse. I didn't bother bringing a jacket with me as I knew it was going to be hot and sunny. 

Toiletries might be the hardest part about travelling carry on. I used lots of beauty samples I had collected and barely had to decant anything into small containers. For those products I did have to decant, I used little jars from Sephora and The Body Shop - ones they give you when you ask for a sample or get a sample with purchase. Sunscreen went into a small travel squeeze bottle. I decided to use the hotel products for soap, body wash, lotion, shampoo and conditioner. 

For makeup, I decanted three days of my foundation/BB/liquid highlight combo into a small jar. I brought a small eyeshadow palette (used the darkest shade if I needed eyeliner) and a sample size mascara. My NudeStix crayon (dual ended) worked for both lips and cheeks- multi-use products rock! I made sure I had enough room in my liquids baggie for the few lip glosses I planned on buying while I was there. 






Bring a fabric shopping tote to put your purse in. I brought my Kate Spade bag with me, and on the plane, I put it inside a fabric shopping tote so it was protected from the "under the seat in front of you germs". I also put my liquids baggie in the tote so I had easy access to it for security checks. The tote was small enough that I could use it as my personal item if my suitcase was too full on the way home and I had to pack some clothes in it too. It wasn't, because I didn't buy very much. 

Overall, I totally enjoyed travelling light! It was so nice to not have to wait at the baggage claim and pay baggage fees. I will defiantly try to travel carry on whenever possible. It was pretty easy for a short summer trip. It would be interesting to try to do it for a week-long winter trip. 

If you have an carry-on travel tip, be sure to share them!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

My Monthly Purchases: August 2016

Every month, I break down my clothing expenses and share them. My quarterly budget is $500. This amount can be rolled into the next quarter if it's not all spent. My goal is to keep my out of pocket expenses within $2000 a year. Gifts and gift cards don't count towards my budget. Since I've been keeping a budget, I'm much more careful with what I buy, and I will return stuff at the end of the month if I'm not crazy about it after hanging it in my closet.

August was interesting for me as I went to Toronto and barely bought anything! The thing is, it was freaking HOT in Toronto, so I just couldn't get my head around fall. Also interesting was I had a few shopping trips with my mom and she insisted on buying me stuff which doesn't get counted in my budget. I'll put my much appreciated Mom gifts at the end!

Bomber: H&M (Toronto)

Reg: $40

I eyed this on the website a few weeks ago and when I saw it in person in Toronto, I had to have it. It's such a pretty pink color and surprisingly warm. I'll have to be careful with how I wear it, because it could easily look Pink Ladies from Grease. I'll try to do an outfit post wearing it soon.

Shirt: Brandy Melville (Toronto)

Reg $24

I find Brandy Melville so interesting as most items are "one size fits all". This houndstooth tee will get a lot of wear all year long.

Tank: Samuel and Co.
Reg $29, on sale for $10
I have a few of these tanks and they are great - thick and long. Perfect for layering under cardigans. Sorry no photo- it's in the wash.

Shirt: Wilfred at Aritzia
Reg $35, on sale for $17.50
Choker: Forever 21 (Toronto)
Reg $9
I've worn this tee four times already and it even though it's patterned, it goes with so much as it has black, brown, blue, and wine in it. Immediately, I was drawn to this choker.  It has a very pretty pattern and a great price.

Cardigan: Bluenotes
Reg $13
I wanted a long blue cardigan to take with me to Toronto and this one is surprisingly nice given how inexpensive it is. They have it in a bunch of colors.

Tee: Golden by TNA from Aritzia
Reg $45, on sale for $10
I had my eye on this for a while but really didn't need it. I almost bought it when it was $20, but decided not to. When it was further discounted to $10, I scooped it up.

Tee: Banana Republic
Reg $50, on sale for $12
I like the linen blend of this tee and the rose gold stripes.

Hat: Golden by TNA at TNA (Toronto)
Reg $28
The Eaton Centre is great if you're an Aritzia fan as they have Aritzia, TNA, and Wilfred. You can go to Aritzia if your vibing all their brands, or you can be more specific and visit the stand alone stores. I'm so glad I went to TNA as this hat was only available in the color I got at the TNA store. I wore my black TNA hat so much this summer that I could defiantly justify one in another color.

Dress: Oak + Fort (Toronto)
Reg: $38
I'd heard of this store but this was the first time I actually went in one. It's a minimalist's dream. Lots of back, white, grey, and cream. Comfortable basic pieces. This dress will work on it's own but could also be worn as a long tee over pants or leggings.

Ring: Oak + Fort (Toronto)
Reg $10
I rarely ever wear rings besides my wedding set, so it must mean I really like this one to pick it up. I love the shape and the matte color.

Earrings: Envy
Reg $14, on sale for $4.
I have a lot of silver coloured studs but not a lot of gold. These are really delicate and pretty.

GIFTS BELOW

Top: Aritzia
Reg $125, on sale for $40
I'm obsessed with white. I bought a heavier knit white shell from Uniqlo in LA and have worn it a lot. This one is thinner and I love the belt detail.

Shorts: Talula at Aritzia
Reg $55, on sale for $27.50
These shorts are amazing. I regret not getting them in black as well. I wore them in Toronto and they are super comfy. They're a really flattering length. Short but not too short. I wonder what Aritzia does with all the summer stuff that is still left at the end of the sale? I bet it goes to the Vancouver clearance sale they have at the convention centre. I should really book a vacation there around that sale...

Sorry I'm wrinkled. Just off the drying rack.

Sweater: Guess via Moments boutique
Reg $75, on sale for $37.50
Cold shoulder is cool. White is my thing. This is totally warm enough to wear in the fall. I bought it a bit oversized.

Original value of items: $335
Price I paid: $215
I saved 36%

That leaves me with $165 to spend in September. I need to get my fall clothes out to see what I have. I'm pretty sure I needed a new black sweater at the end of last winter. I have been drooling over the Club Monaco fall collection, but it kills me to buy full price there. I tend to buy on sale at end of season to wear the following year.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl