54. The Infamous Nordstrom's Sale

Greetings readers!

First off, why is it only Tuesday? I'm thinking due to the lovely 11-hour work day I had yesterday, this week seems so long already. But enough of that...

Lately, my go-to fashion expert is my roommate and we decided to veto the ankle cropped pants in the last post. The good news is, they were the most expensive item on my mini White House | Black Market haul. Unfortunately, the pants cut me at a weird spot- the problems of being tall!

Don't you fret though, I've narrowed down my Nordstrom sale items to a grand total of $557.00! Nothing has been purchased as of yet, seeing as how I should be weeding it all down, just a wee bit more haha.*

1. Gray Ruched Long Dress

Originally: $56.00

On Sale: $36.90 

I cannot get over this look! The gray dress with the tights, the jacket, the infinity scarf, and the boots. Hello, Fall! This outfit to me is the epitome of fall, chic, and edgy. 

2. Knit Sweater Coat

Originally: $128.00

On Sale: $84.90

Don't you just want to jump right in this Knit Sweater Coat, sit on the couch, and read a great book by the fire? It just looks so comfy, cozy, and above all, warm.

3. Kendra Scott 'Elle' Drop Earrings

Originally: $60.00

On Sale: $39.90

Some of my favorite bloggers lately have been sportin' Kendra Scott's earrings and I'm just dying to get my hands on a pair!

4. 'Finger' Studded Clutch

Originally: $48.00

On Sale: $31.90

This clutch is an absolute must-have! Imagine this with the Gray Ruched Long Dress?! Talk about chic and edgy. Plus, I love the fact that this clutch comes with a strap, so you don't always have to be "clutching" it.

5. French Connection Space Dye Midi Dress

Originally: $148

On Sale: $98.90

This dress would look killer with some black tights and booties, and obviously the 'Finger' Studded Clutch! ;)

6. Ellen Tracy Colorblock Tweed Coat

Originally: $218.00

On Sale: $129.90

This coat is just so chic! I'm not sure if I'll actually buy this though because Boston winters are just too cold, even for this. Last year, my big Christmas gift from my parents was essentially a down comforter coat from North Face haha. It was worth every penny!

7. 'Andora' Over The Knee Boot

Originally: $199.95

On Sale: $134.90

As much as I'd love to tell you that I wear other shoes in the winter, I can honestly say, I wear my boots 99.9% of the time. Last winter, one day I realized that I had worn boots for over 100 days straight. Yup! I have a staple pair of boots, worn here. I've been wanting a pair of solid black boots, but my problem is that I never find "wide-calf" boots and what are the odds that these Andora babies are wide-calf?! Match-made in heaven!

8. Houndstooth Print Ponte Dress

Originally: $88.00

On Sale: $58.90

I cannot justify this purchase, other than saying that I absolutely adore the houndstooth print.

So there you have it, all of my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale picks.

Happy shopping, all! 

*Disclaimer: Apparently a lot of my items have been on everyone else's Wish List, too. The gray Ruched Long Sleeve Dress, the Knit Sweater Coat, the gray Kendra Scott earrings, and the Houndstooth dress are either not available at all, or no longer available in my size. 

53. The Summer Sales Galore!

Greetings, readers!

As noted in my last post, I am trying to turn a new leaf and follow a monthly budget plan, courtesy of J's Everyday Fashion's Tip on "How to Set a Monthly Clothing Budget." Based off of J's Tips, my budget has been set to $200 a month.

So far, I'm sticking to it, but I can't promise that could last me much longer with all of the summer sales going on! A few days after my last post, I received an email from White House | Black Market in regards to their fabulous 60-70% off sale that I simply could not resist. It's still going on, so be sure to check it out!

Here are the 3 items I narrowed it down to:

1. Blue Print Slim Ankle Jean

Originally: $88

On Sale: $29.99

One of my friends recently said to me, "I try and buy my clothes to meet 2 of out 3 needs. Need 1- Can I wear it to work? Need 2- Would I wear this on the weekend? Or for a night out? Need 3- Can I wear this to a formal event? All of these White House | Black Market items meet 2 out of 3 needs.

These pants were shipped in a separate order, so they haven't arrived yet, but I'm pretty sure they'll be worn the next day I get them! Perfect for the Business Casual environment, or for a night out with friends on the weekends.

2. Printed Ankle Pant

Originally: $84

On Sale: $39.99

I've been craving some ankle pants and these suited my needs! Since they are a skinnier leg, I'm sure these will transition well into the fall and winter. Nothing a little boot can't hide. Being born and raised in Massachusetts, you learn how to make things seasonless. 

3.  Long Seasonless Pencil Skirt

Originally: $70

On Sale: $19.99

No, I did not purposely intend to end my last description of the ankle pants with the word "seasonless." ;) This skirt is the perfect length. It has a cute detailing around the waistline and makes it super flattering. 

I cannot get over these prices. Had all of these been purchased at their original price tags, this would've cost me $242. I scored all of these items for a bargain price of $89.97. Overall, I saved $152.03!! 

Does that mean since I saved so much, I have an additional $152.03 to spend in my budget this month? ;) I can only hope since the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is something I certainly can't pass up. Stay tuned for my picks from Nordstrom's Sale.

52. The Horrendous Blogger

Greetings readers!

This post is properly titled as The Horrendous Blogger, for I am just that. I'm not entirely sure if it's laziness (which it probably is), or forgetfulness (ditto on that). I won't even state this time, "I promise I'll be better," or the "Let's try routines," for I clearly do not stick to them and frankly, both of those are just plain excuses.

Life Update due to Slacker Blogger.

A quick run-down of what's been going on lately:

• Since my last post, or better yet, since December 24th, when I decided to change my life (in a small part at least), I've dropped 15 pounds! Woohoo! Probably shouldn't be all excited, since I'm sitting here having 2 slices of cold pizza for a quick lunch haha. :) *Side note: I prefer my pizza to be cold lol.*
• I'm still at the same job, still as a contract, and still being highly underpaid for a new role that came into play as of January 1st. I've been interviewing, but alas, no new job yet. 
• One of my very good friends recently became single, so naturally the first thing you do is book an All-Inclusive Vacation to Cancun with 4 of your girlfriends. August 5th, I'm ready for you!! :)
• Fun adventures lately: Worked on a yacht for a day; Went for a dingy ride around Newport Harbor with my best-friend; Saw The Impractical Jokers live in Staten Island, NY (first time to Staten Island, too!); went down to the Cape for the first time in like 10 years; and just frequent visits to Newport. 

So that's life in a nut shell! 

Monthly Budgeting? Oof!

With the current role, as I previously noted, I am highly underpaid. Plus, life in Boston is very much above my means. It's time to start budgeting more appropriately. One of my favorite bloggers, J from J's Everyday Fashion, always sets a monthly budget. My blogroll as of late, is getting a bit out of control. I always find new bloggers, due to guest postings, or Pinterest. From every new blog, comes a new article of clothing, or a fabulous accessory that I just long and die to have. J's Budgets seem like something I need to do. Here are steps and tricks:

1. Your budget is based off of 2-8% of your yearly take-home income. 
2. Once you have an idea in mind, then factor in your family- since I'm single, I don't need to worry about budgeting for a husband and/or kids.
3. Factor in your job. If you work in a certain environment, you may need certain attire. My work is business-casual. 
4. Factor in your financial goals. Are you trying to buy a house? Right now, for me that is, that isn't a concern. Renting is fine for the time being.
5. Factor in your values. Some people want to save for traveling, or for charities. I have a LOVE for travel, so this is definitely something I'll need to take into consider!
6. Shopping Habits. What a hard thing to answer! You have to factor in whether you shop all year long (in which case a monthly budget is decided), or if you only shop at selective times. Since I clearly shop constantly, a monthly budget will be best for me!
7. Once you have your ideas in mind, create a wishlist for that month. Items you may be eyeing. It will help you stay on target! This will be crucial for me, since I find myself often buying less statement/ simple/ every-day items, and more pieces that are fun, vibrant and unique. It's all said and good, but you need those statement items, too!
8. If you have a monthly budget of $200, but only spend $150, carry that $50 over and use it at another time! Perhaps on that vacation you've been dying to plan. ;)
9. Lastly, "Return overages. Let's face it, sometimes our eyes are bigger than our wallets. No biggie. Whenever this happens to me, I go through my purchases that month and pick a few things to return. If I really, really love them, then I take them out of next month's budget, or I simply go back and buy them next month." I obviously need to do this more often haha.

With that said, July's wishlist!

Based off of J's tips, I can spend roughly $200 a month: a.k.a. $2,400 for the year. As previously noted, I LOVE a lot of the items that bloggers are featuring in their daily posts. I save whatever ones I'm lusting after in folders on my browser: one for Accessories/Other (everything except Clothes), and then one for Clothes. Every couple of weeks, I weed through the items and figure out if I'm (a) still loving it enough to purchase it, (b) if the item is still in stock, or (c) if the item is on sale. By keeping everything all in one place, it really helps me weed out just an item I want "in the now," or an item that I can actually see myself purchasing. (Thankfully you don't see how long it takes to create a post, for I just did 2.5 hours worth of weeding through things I didn't want. It wasn't completely 2.5 hours for I was multitasking with other things, but close to it!)

1. Anastacia Dress - $40
I am loving this Black and White Striped Dress. I'm trying to focus more on statement pieces and I feel as though this could definitely be it. It's something I can wear in the Spring, Summer, and Fall. In the Spring and Summer with Flats, and in the Fall with Boots. One of my favorite Bloggers, Robyn from Cleverly, Yours is actually the one featured in this photo!

2. J Crew Factory Earrings -  $14.50 (on sale)
These earrings, normally $32.50, are on sale for $14.50. Woohoo! If you look at Robyn's earrings in the Anastacia dress, they're very similar to these. These earrings will be very versatile. Plus, I have a beautiful coral summer dress and these little beauties will complement it perfectly!

3. Nude Bow Sandals - $30
A couple of years ago my friend got the most darling pair of bow sandals from V. Secret and I could not hide my jealousy. With my upcoming trip to Cancun, I'm thinking these will need to be in the suitcase!

4. & 5. Bowed Ballet Flats - $18 each ($36 total, originally $42 each!)
I currently own a similar pair of black ballet flats from Urban Outfitters and I wear them constantly! Urban Outfitters had a tan pair too, but I opted to only buy the black. I don't think I'm going to buy both of these pairs, but definitely the tan.

Total Budget Used: $102.50 
(Assuming I don't buy the black lace flats).

Happy Holidays, all!