My Monthly Purchases: September 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.

Sweatshirt: Zara

Reg $30

My love for athleisure is not going anywhere. R calls this my "90s teenage boy shirt". He tends to name my clothing that he doesn't understand (e.g. Clown pants, witch dress, dog collar necklace, eyeball earrings)

Top: Zara

Reg $16

I've donated a few black tops that we're getting worn, so I need to replenish. I like the sleeves on this one.

I held the sleeve to show the shape.

Scarf: Zara

Reg $16

Neck scarves are cute and I like that this one is a bit more elevated than a basic bandana.

Top: Hollister

Reg $18 on sale for $9

I bought this top in grey in July I think. I really like it, so when I saw it on sale I scooped it up in black.

Sneakers: Puma via Winners

Reg $125 on sale for $52

These shoes! I've been listing for them for ages and I almost bought them from Town Shoes, then someone told me they were at Winners. I love them. They are so comfy and its a life goal to collect as many fashion sneakers as my closet will fit.

Choker: Call it Spring

Reg $12

I shopped hard for a wrap choker and this was the winner. I wanted silver detail but nothing to flashy.

Earrings: American Eagle Outfitters

Reg $10 on sale for $3.50

I wear my Stella & Dot grey earrings all the time so I know I'll wear these too.

Original value of items $228
Price I paid $139
I saved 39%

I'm rolling over $26 to next quarter. My mission is to find a perfect black crew neck sweater. The last quarter of the year is always so challenging as it includes Black Friday and Boxing Day.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Cornflower Blue at The Grove

The Grove is one of my favourite spots in LA. It's a really nice clean outdoor shopping mall with lots of good restaurants. It's also home to a few of my favourite stores - Topshop and Madewell. I was feeling quite under the weather in LA, so I didn't spend as much time shopping here as I expected, but we did make it to The Grove three times.

Details

Shirt: Rachel Roy via Winners

Jeans: Gap

Sunnies: Coach

Boots: Aldo

Necklace: Banana Republic

Bag: 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target

My Fitbit was on pretty much the whole time in LA. Yeah, it didn't look so great with my outfits (and I always forgot to take it off for photos) but I had a great week for steps!

On the toes: Aloha from OPI (OPI)

My Rachel Roy top will probably be in high rotation this spring. I love this shade of blue! The shoulder cut outs are fun too.

If you ever visit LA, The Grove is a must-do!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

My Monthly Purchases: February 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.

Watch: Michael Kors via Winners
Reg $300, Winners price $170

I've been on the hunt for a gold watch for about two years. I finally found one that doesn't look humongous on my little wrist. Many links need to be taken out before I can wear it. I love the tortoise shell band!

Sorry about the shadows. I promise it's pretty!

Sweater: TNA from Aritzia
Reg: $125, on sale for $62.50. I paid $12.50 because I had a $50 gift card.

The warmest sweater ever! I bought this just before a cold snap and wanted to wear it 24/7. It's a great length (below the bum!) and I'm sure I'll be wearing it for years and years.

Shirt: TNA from Aritzia

Reg $35, on sale for 17.50

Back I went to the Aritzia sale a few days after buying the above sweater. I couldn't get my mind off another TNA shirt. My color is no longer available - it's a muted red. I have the same one in grey as well. So comfy!

Wrong color. 

Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Reg $80 on sale for $25

I wear my distressed Diesel boyfriend jeans so much. This pair is a legging fit and high rise, which is all sorts of awesome. I like how there's fabric under the rips so I don't freeze my legs off! I wouldn't have paid full price for these, but I'll get my wear out of them for the price.

Do you like my half made bed?

Sneakers: Joe Fresh
Reg $40, on sale for $7

I'd been eyeing these for months, waiting for them to go on sale for dirt cheap. They are incredibly lightweight, and I'll be bringing them on vacation for sure. I love working beside Joe Fresh!

Original value of items: $580
Price I paid: $232
I saved 60%

That leaves me with $199 to spend in March. I've got some on-line orders on the way which I may or may not keep. I'm obsessed with sale boots and shoes at the end of winter.  The CDN $ is not good right now! If I do any shopping in LA, it'll likely be at Uniqlo, Madewell, and Zara.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

My Monthly Purchases : August 2015

Every month, I break down my clothing expenses and share them. I used to have a monthly budget, but partway through 2014, I switched to a quarterly budget of $500. This 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.

August is generally a high spending month for me (you know, "back to school shopping"...) but this year I restrained myself.

Top: Lucy & Laurel via Winners

Reg $55 on sale for $16

My closet is lacking in navy shirts. This is simple yet really feminine and pretty. My only beef about it is that I wore it outside one evening and mosquitos flew in the holes and bit my upper arms. Oww. Totally my fault. Should have predicted that! Sorry for the wrinkles - fresh out of the wash!

Tops: Gap

Reg $66 for the three, on sale for $25 for three
I usually buy a few Gap tees late in the summer when they're on sale. They wash well and have a soft and stretchy vibe. The third one is in the wash, but it's a black and white striped crew neck.

Skirt: Club Monaco

Reg $150 on sale for $17.50
A black skirt wasn't on my wish list (I have a few) but this is one of those buys that will definitely get playing time in my wardrobe. Too well-priced to leave in the store! Club Monaco tends to carry timeless stuff, so if you see a great basic, nab it, you'll wear it for years!

Culottes: Envy
Reg $60 on sale for $20
Check out my post on these!

T-shirt: Wilfred Free at Aritzia
Reg $45 on sale for $15
What a pretty color. I can see this being layered under a chunky sweater or blazer this fall. Or.... lounging around the house because it's so darn comfy!

Total value of items: $376
I paid $94.
I saved 75%

That leaves me $298 to spend this quarter, as I'm still dragging out some birthday money. This quarter technically ends at the end of September, but if I don't spend it, I can roll it ahead to the next quarter.

I've been stretching my Joe Fresh birthday gift card to the max! For those of who who haven't wandered in lately, I was there this week... and they have the fall clothing in! Gorgeous stuff this season. I was good and only bought two pieces on Sept 1st (which is the magical day in my head that my budget "re-sets" LOL). I'll share the fall stuff with you next time, but here are the buys I snagged in August.

Shorts: Joe Fresh

Reg $19 on sale for $13
I've weeded a lot of shorts out of my closet lately, therefore needing new ones. These are a nice color and looser fit.

Top: Joe Fresh 

Reg $29 on sale for $9
I hope to get a few wears out of this pretty white short sleeve sweater before I spill pasta or something on it....

Did you find any amazing wardrobe additions this month? Do share!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Sombre

Everyone knows by now what ombre hair is, but a close cousin of ombre is sombre - a more subtle form. 

It was a big decision to let go of my bright blond, but I needed a change. I still get to keep the lightness at the ends, but the roots are a warmer color. It should be quite a bit easier to upkeep than blond highlights. 

Apologies for the grainy iPad photos. The "golden hour" hasn't been working for me lately. Maybe it's all the snow. 

Details

Sweater: Banana Republic

Jeans: Diesel via Winners

Scarf: H&M

Jewelry: Gifts

Nails: Blue Rhapsody by Essie

Boots: Gap

These Diesel jeans are the most comfortable, softest denim I have ever worn. They waist hits in exactly the right spot, which is so hard to find with a long torso like mine. I will be stalking Winners for more from this brand!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

My Monthly Purchases: January 2015

Ahhh January. New year, new yearly budget.

Every month, I break down my clothing expenses and share them. I used to have a strict (sort of...) monthly budget, but partway through 2014, I switched to a quarterly budget of $500. This can be rolled into the next quarter if not all spent. My goal is to keep my expenses within $2000 a year. Gifts and gift cards don't count towards my budget.

I'm starting 2015 off with a quarterly budget of $525 (a small roll-over happened last year).

I'm happy to say was a satisfying shopping month. After Christmas sales are in full swing, and it's a great time of year to replace basic winter sweaters.

I was able to check off some "needs" (boots, black sweater, and grey sweater) and there were some impulse buys thrown in there too.

What I Bought

Leather Boots: Town Shoes (own brand, no longer available on-line)
Price: $75, originally $265
Sometime in December I realized I was wearing my flat black ankle boots to work almost every day. I needed another option that would keep me warmer as the temperatures dropped. I bought a pair of boots from Aldo that I ended up returning, and then I found these lovelies. The chain strap is detachable, which is a nice option. They are really tight to zip (and I have small calves) which may be why they were so marked down.

Grey Sweater: Banana Republic
Price: $20, originally $95
I donated my trusty grey H&M v-neck sweater a few months ago (it's prime had passed) and have been missing it. I'm glad a stopped in BR at lunch the other day as this gorgeous thing was heavily marked down and will fill my grey v-neck void so well. I find the BR in-store sales are often better than the on-line ones, as is the case here.

Pink Sweater: Banana Republic (no longer available on-line)
Price: $17, originally $110
Cashmere blend for $17? Yes please - one of those things that you just don't leave in the store. I already have a pink sweater, but at this price it made sense to have two.

Black Sweater: Old Navy (no longer available on-line)
Price: $21, originally $40
I needed a long black sweater to wear with leggings (which are NOT pants BTW). Also, they are helpful with jeans or pants that are fitted in the seat, morphing them into work-appropriate bottoms.

Jeans: Diesel via Winners
Price (crazy!): $37, originally $350
If I had infinite amounts of money, I would likely be clothed heavily in Diesel. Winners loves to bring in Diesel attire (yay!) and I scored this gorgeous pair of boyfriend jeans for next to nothing. They are super-long on me, but are meant to be worn cuffed. I will try them out as-is before deciding to hem or not (I hate hemming). I also had a pair of AG jeans in my hand that I was close to buying. Lots of premium jeans at the Mumford location in Halifax if anyone needs new ones!

Snood: Amercan Eagle Outfitters  (worn here)
Price: $5, originally $40
I wear my black faux fur snood a ton and for $5 (which I think was a mistake as when I went back later that week they were marked back up to $40) this was a great alternate color to have in my closet.

Blazer: Merona at Target (not available on-line)
Price: $11.50, originally $40
This was purchased on the day Target announced their closure. I went to mope and show my support. I think it will look good with jeans and my brown riding boots. Very J Crew-esque.

Original value of items: $590
Price I paid: $150
I saved 75%(and darn proud of it)

I have $350 left to spend this quarter. I  would like to find a casual long sleeved dress that would be work and weekend appropriate.

I'm linked up with Franish today - stop over and see how the others spent their January budgets.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Frap Happy

May flowers? Not here in Nova Scotia. The most exciting thing to happen here this month (in my opinion) is Frappucino Happy Hour at Starbucks.  Grande non fat Vanilla Bean please with a bit o' whip. I'm so sad it's over - they need to have it more often!

Details

Shirt: Winners 

Jeans: Guess

Sneakers: Peter Pilotto for Target

Scarf: Gap Factory

Sunnies: Guess via TJ Maxx 

Necklace: Stella & Dot

So the lack of high quality photos lately are due to the fact that my laptop has died, and my Canon camera software is not on R's computer. All of my photos lately are courtesy of my HTC phone, and I won't likely be using my good camera until I spring for my own laptop.

I have so much love for these sneakers. I hesitated as they are very very bright in real life, but they are so comfy and they make me happy when I look at them.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Little Penguins

Sometimes when I need a pick-me-up, I'll watch a live penguin webcam. It's impossible not to smile! Imagine my disappointment when at the Vancouver Aquarium, the penguins were standing together in a little clump... doing absolutely nothing. Maybe they were protesting the weather. The little guys in my photo aren't real.

Details

Jacket: Tommy Hilfiger

Tank: Diesel via Winners

Pants: Uniqlo

Sneakers: Keds

Bag: Coach

Necklace: Stella & Dot

Terrifying!!

Excuse my lack of writing in this week's blog posts. Our house is turned inside out at the moment, and I have no time for my usual effort!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Too Rainy

Vancouver gets a lot of rain, but usually it's of the friendly sort. Pop an umbrella, and you're good. The day these photos were taken, it was monsoon-like. The outdoor chairs at Milestones in English Bay were blowing over and there was no way to take blog pics outside. So here you have the inside of the St Regis Hotel.

Details

Jacket: Old Navy

Shirt: Smart Set

Pants: H&M

Shoes: BCBGeneration via Winners

Bracelet and short necklace: Stella & Dot

Long necklace: Origami Owl

I had to swap out the jean jacket for a raincoat! I have a feeling I'm going to be wearing this denim jacket a lot in the months to come. Even though it's less than a year old and hasn't been used much, it has a soft worn-in feel to it.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

One Day of Sun

Ahh Vancouver. You're pretty when you're rainy and stunning when you're sunny. Apologies for the quality of there photos. Since upgrading to the Canon Rebel, I no longer have a travel-friendly camera that I can pop in my purse, so I decided not to take it on the trip.

R and I took a lovely walk along the seawall (why can't Halifax have a seawall?) after I attended the Plenty Warehouse sale last Friday. I came away with nothing from the sale, but it was an interesting experience. Guess who's not a fan of a giant changing room for all the girls? Also not a big fan of lines. The sweater I liked wasn't worth the hour wait to pay.

Details

Vest: Vero Moda via Envy

Sweater: Vince via Winners

Jeans: Calvin Klein

Bag and sunnies: Coach

Sneakers: Converse

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

My Monthly Purchases: March 2014

I had some gift card spending to do this month. I'm not really sure how to handle gift cards/gift money in relation to my clothing budget. When I'm gifted an article of actual clothing, I don't count it towards my budget obviously, so I'm inclined to think that gift card purchases shouldn't count. Ladies who budget, what do you do with gift cards?

Gift Card Purchases

Pants: Ralph Lauren via Winners
Discounted from $100 to $30 (free using gift card)
Black work pants were on my wish list. I'm not sure how I managed to get through the winter with only one pair in my closet, but I often wished for a second pair. They're in the wash, so no photo.

Tank: Diesel via Winners
Discounted from approx. $150 to $25
Winners has been getting some decent stuff in stock lately in their new "Contemporary" section. I have a "love from afar" relationship with Diesel as I refuse to pay full price for it but really love the brand.  Winners has an annoying habit of peeling off the brand's actual price tag (but they often miss it). Their "comparable to" tag is often way lower than the original price. For example, the "comparable to" tag on this tank is $40. Now, I know that you can't get a Diesel shoelace for $40, but they peeled off the original tag. So I went online and found something comparable listed for $150 at the Bay, which sounds more like Diesel's (over) pricing. Wouldn't it make sense for Winners to want to show the actual retail price? I don't get it. You'll all be proud of me for not giving in to the pink leather vest I wore for a solid ten minutes in the fitting room. It was still $130 (marked down from $700 - they forgot to get rid of the original tag ), but I actually do want a new brown leather jacket which would see far more wear than a pink leather vest, no matter how pretty it was.

Skirt: Banana Republic (no longer available on-line)
Discounted from $110 to $49 (free using gift card c/o Halifax Shopping Centre for doing an Opposites Attract feature for them)
I love love love this skirt and was eyeing it from the second I saw it on-line. I was hoarding my HSC gift card, waiting for the perfect item to spend it on. This was it! I haven't worn it yet, but I do want to get at least one wear out of it with black tights before the weather changes.

Earrings: Silpada
Regular price $34 (free with birthday money)
I am supposed to be on a jewelry buying ban for awhile but I don't actually own anything in turquoise and I thought these were really cute. I love the look of white clothes and turquoise accessories in the summer.



T-shirt: Smart Set
Discounted from $16 to $10 (free with birthday money)
This was an impulse buy a few days before St Patrick's Day, but a good bright piece that looks great with black, white, or navy. I wore it with black pants and a black cardigan for St Patrick's Day at the office, but failed to get a photo.

Mine is kelly green

Amount spent in gift cards/gift money: $148
Value $402

My Own Money Purchases

Sweater: Jacob (no longer available on-line)
Discounted from $50 to $7.50
I love the look of this slouchy v-neck. I can wear it over button-ups or over a dress. I promise I'll steam it before I wear it!

Dress: Old Navy
Discounted from $33 to $25
This dress is a blank canvas for styling, and I think I will get a lot of wear out of it in the spring and next fall too. A good piece for transitioning seasons.



Shirt: Club Monaco
Regular price $64.50
It is SO HARD to find a great white oxford shirt. Thank you Club Monaco salesgirl for leading me to the men's section! I bought this in men's XS and it is wonderful! Not too thin, long enough to cover my bottom should I want to wear it with structured leggings, and no gaping buttons at chest level!

Dress: Sarah Stevenson for Target
Regular Price $35
I did a blog post on this dress already. I can't wait to wear it with my denim jacket!


Skirt: Peter Pilotto for Target
Discounted from $35 to $17.50
This was one of the pieces I said I'd go back for if it went on clearance, which it did.

Total spent: $149.50
Total value:  $217.50
I saved 31%

It's time to look at my seasonal spending which I've budgeted at $500 every three months.
January = $154
February = $193
March = $150

Grand total for first quarter of 2014: $497

Next month includes a trip to Vancouver and undoubtedly some new clothes will be bought. Good thing I have gift cards and birthday money to spend!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

The New Blue Wall

For those of you who are sick of seeing the fake tree in our living room as the backdrop for blog photos on rainy days, you'll like this post. Since Timberlea Dental Centre is now open (yay), there are a few "future use" rooms that have no dental equipment ... but they do have freshly painted blank walls.

I'm still playing around with the new camera, trying to figure out lighting and all that complicated stuff. Bear with me for the shadows. The first photo is natural light only and the second is with natural plus overhead lights.

Details

Blazer: Banana Republic via Crimson Clover

Shirt: Zara

Jeans: Target

Hat: Le Chateau

Shoes: BCBGeneration via Winners

Bracelets: Gifts

Earrings: American Eagle Outfitters

This was my consolation t-shirt, bought in Toronto the day Mastercard Fashion Week began, which was the day I left. Note to self: check out what's going on and when before you book plane tickets.

The last phrase is so me.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl