recap: july

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i feel like i should probably mention my new-ish job since it's been the catalyst for a bunch of other big life changes.  i got new headshots taken and the photographer made me look the perfect combination of friendly and professional.  the one below didn't make the marketing cut, but i still like it a lot.  and the big, big, big news is that i finished all my licensing exams!  i can finally call myself an architect without any qualifiers!  yay!  i've been slowly chipping away at the seven sections for the last two and a half years with some breaks for various projects/trips/weddings, so it seems like it was so long ago that i started on them.  i met my goal that i set back in undergrad of finishing before my thirtieth bithday (it's coming up in october) and i celebrated with cupcakes of all sorts.  i even got to eat leftover cupcakes for breakfast with my whole family earlier this month.  and my nieces were just as excited about this as i was.

[buying]
one: zara marble-effect trousers: $60.  these are totes my new favorites (evidence here and here) and are perfect for my new office environment where everyone looks so darn cool all the time.  except for when they're covered in fleece blankies because it gets really cold, but under all the fleece they're dressed in super cool duds.
two: labworks quilted pullover top: $20.  i haven't worn this yet, but it is definitely a new silhouette for me.  i'm thinking it will make its debut on friday with some gray jeans.
three: merona ponte pencil skirt: $12.  ponte, gray, pockets.  that's the comfy skirt trifecta right there.

july total: $92.  june was kinda buy-everything-shoppy-time, so this is good.
and get nosy with a bunch of other blogger's budgets over hurrrr.

[reading]
novels!  yay!  i'm finally not spending all my free time doing practice exams, so i'm back reading books that aren't about efficient mechanical systems or construction contracts.  i'm working my way through anne and heidi's book suggestions and it's been fantastic.