budget: february

remember when i made a bunch of big pronouncements at the beginning of the year?  (the post is way back here)  it's basically the same old "quality over quantity" deal-e-o, but i put some strict restrictions on myself to cut out the cheapies entirely.  so far i have not broken my rules at all!  i also might have started going in the grocery entrance at target which has stopped clearance shoes from ending up in my shopping cart mysteriously.  this month, i added three new things to my closet and sent a ginormous bag to thredup (join here or read my review back here), with a second one half full already.  there need to be a lot more net loss months to get my wardrobe where i want it to be, but this is a good start fo sho.

february's three adds:

zara parka with detachable lining, $139.  i usually wait for zara's big sales, but this was totes worth it.

zara velour blazer with faux leather detail, $89.  i wear blazers A LOT and this might be the third zara one in my closet.

marc by marc jacobs classic q lil ukita bag.  (gift)  those are some serious made up words for a crossbody bag with a foldover flap.  i'm totes in heart with this bag though.  my black satchel was getting kinda sad, so this is my new everyday bag.

p.s.
if you're nosy like me and like to see what other bloggers are spending, hop over to franish's budgeting bloggers.  you are welcome.  

dotty, the return of the pencil, and winter grouchies

[wearing]
cardigan: acne (similar)
scarf: marc jacobs x target
skirt: target (similar)
flats: old navy (exactly)
bag: marc by marc jacobs (exactly)

[three things]
1. i am so over tights.  i need to either re-stock my supply or move south at this point.  ick.

2. when we were in LA a few years ago, some british tourists asked us where maaaaahrc by maaahrc jacobs was.  now i feel obligated to always say the poor man's name in an awful british accent.  sorry, marc. 

3. why did i stop wearing pencil skirts?  let's fix this.





[previously on] leopard print pencil skirt

dotty, rainy days, and a new parka

[wearing]
rain parka: zara (exactly)
giant scarf: marc jacobs x target (similar or there's a bunch still available on ebay)
polka dot pants: j.crew factory (exactly)
rain boots: loeffler randall (short version)
bag: marc by marc jacobs (exactly)



[three things]
1. i do not think i have been adequately prepared for rainy weather for about the last twenty years.  i bought legit rain boots a few years ago, but i have relied heavily on umbrellas to compensate for my lack of a seriously waterproof jacket.  i mentioned a few weeks ago (post here) that i was looking for a parka and picked up this olive one from zara.  it's got a big hood, more toggles than any reasonable jacket needs, and enough pockets to carry a weeks worth of snacks.  (apparently i have some strange requirements for outerwear!)

2. i got to wear this jacket exactly once before the weather turned back to frigid.  it was a super rainy day and the jacket worked out perfectly though.

3. i only realized that the jacket has awesome leather patches on the back of the arms when i was hanging it up at work.  surprise!

dotty, winter lights, and casual friday

[wearing]
tunic: target (exactly)
vest: zara (really similar)
jeans: old navy (exactly)
flats: old navy (exactly)
necklace: h&m

[three things]
1. i haven't worn this vest since july!  #remixingfail  anyway, it started taunting me every time i opened my closet door, so i finally got around to wearing it.  even though it's very white and therefore pretty summer-ish, i ended up really liking this casual friday pairing to take a break from my usual jacket plan to dress up jeans.

2. don't worry, i wear boots when i go outside.  these are indoors only shoes until the slush situation outside changes drastically.

3. i just noticed how well this shirt+vest combination matches this corner of our living room.  once our marble-topped table (we ordered this lil guy) arrives, i will match even more!

valentine's day, a lil bit of red, and not much pink

here's the thing, i don't really wear pink. i think i have removed all pink from my closet with the exception of this scarf.  so, to get ready for valentine's day, i've been searching through my archives to find some ideas for dressing subtlely valentine's-ish.


option one: red shoes.  these ones even have ridiculous gold spikes on the back.  they say "i'm festive, but i will cut you."


option two: casual red.  it's about time for this sweatshirt to make another appearance.  it's been out of rotation since i've been wearing more neutrals, but i love the metallic foil print.


option three: mix it up.  mixing together rusty orange, dusty rose, and red made this one of my favorite outfits of that season.


option four: statement piece with neutrals.  this cheery red is definitely super bright, but mixing it with neutrals makes it part of a team.


option five: contrasting colors.  how about red with goldenrod or purple instead of the usual pink&red combination?


and some valentine's adorableness from around the web:

jen posted an adorable crown tutorial for kiddos

anne found all the cutest heart products around

dotty, florals, and security blankets

[wearing]
cardigan: victoria's secret (exactly)
dress: zara (similar)
boots: stuart weitzman (similar)
clutch: neiman marcus x target

[three things]
1. i bought this dress to wear for celebrating the completion of a giant project at work that should happen in march-ish.  instead of waiting around for that to happen, i wore it out to dinner with a big group of friends.  it seems like whenever i'm saving an outfit for a certain occasion i end up deciding to wear something else last minute anyway!

2. grayscale+floral=my kind of pattern.

3. this dress is definitely short and stretchy, so the big cardigan and flat boots helped make it less club-ish and more dinner-ish.

weekend wishlist: long-term purchases

since one of my big goals for the year is to shop more long-term, so i've been trying to focus on making sticking with a list of bigger purchases to save up for.  so far i've been doing alright with not buying things just because they are a deal.  i went to t.j. maxx with a friend and only bought a pack of ridiculously glittery nail files and then i brightened some of my co-workers days with some glittery goodness, since i definitely don't need six of those guys.  anyway, in january all i bought was two cozy sweaters (a cowlneck seen here and a giant cardigan seen here) which have made this dreadful winter a wee bit better.

moving forward, i plan on sticking with my plan to stop buying cheap clothes entirely (i posted about it back here) since i know that it's a slippery slope of free shipping minimums and coupon codes.  i also started a list of specific items to fill gaps in my current wardrobe:

one: a raincoat.  i have a bajillion winter coats, but nothing waterproof for non-freezing rain.  i'm looking for either a classic trench that's waterproof or a more casual parka in olive green.
(mango parka pictured above)

two: pleated work pants.  the most perfect pair ever eventually wore out (see them here, also i want that hair back) and this zara pair appears to be the same cut.
(zara trousers pictured above)

three: friday pants.  now that my office has casual fridays, i'm in the market for a pair of neutral jean-like pants to mix things up.  some sort of print or texture would be good too.
(zara jeans pictured above)

four: a lady bag.  i want to combine the satchel-ness of my philip lim x target bag (seen here and pretty much everyday) and the color and quality of my banana republic tote (seen here).  i already own the matching wallet for this bag (seen here) and have been super duper happy with it.
(marc jacobs "classic q lil ukita" pictured above)

five: a statement dress.  i wear my theory lightning-print dress all the time (seen here) and i think a mirrored-print dress would look amazing with a plain jacket.
(asos "woodland print midi" pictured above)

six: d'orsay flats.  i love me some pointy-toed flats, but i have yet to find a pair that doesn't look too cruella deville-ish.
(alice and olivia "hillary" flats pictured above)

dotty, the king, and casual friday

[wearing]
jacket: zara (similar)
tee: opening ceremony (funny option)
jeans: citizens of humanity (exactly)
belt: j.crew factory
indoor flats: zara
bag: philip lim for target
bracelet: fitbit flex (exactly)

[three things]
1. this is not my shirt. my husband bought this awesome shirt with elvis on it and i promptly borrowed it.  sometimes i think he is much cooler than me.  and then he puts on a videogaming headset and the balance is restored.

2. this kind of outfit makes me really like casual fridays.

3. happy weekend, y'all!

dotty, tweediness, and short boots

[wearing]
jacket: zara (similar)
sweater: vince (similar)
pants: wayf (exactly)
boots: target
necklace: ebay
purse: philip lim for target

creative: the neckline of this sweater wasn't working (i wore it frontwards here) with the necklace i wanted to wear, so i turned it backwards to make the neckline higher.  this was much easier than trying on a bunch of different sweaters to see if they worked.
young: these boots are a bit casual.
professional: tweed?  lots of black?  that's pretty much how i've been rolling lately.

dotty, flamingos, and layering problems

[wearing]
cardigan jacket: j.crew via thredup
crochet lace top: gift (similar)
pants: vince (exactly)
heels: target (exactly)
bag: philip lim for target
earrings: forever21

[three things]
1. this shirt+cardigan combination was way more itchy than i thought it would be.  i have a very, very low threshold for itchiness tolerance, so basically i wished i had worn a hoodie instead the whole time i was wearing this.  bah!

2. i always think of waitresses and middle school musicians when i wear plain black pants with a white top, but i'm starting to get over it a little bit.

3. yup, i am totes practicing my flamingo-standing in that photo up there.  it was the only photo that i wasn't making a grouchy face in though!  #fashionbloggerproblems