So, I’ve been spending bleeding money for the past two months and I have a lot to show for it. This post was inspired by Mochi & Macaron’s monthly post of what she buys 🙂 [check out what she bought in August!].
I previously mentioned that I started a new job in June, and my new work place’s dress code is more business casual than the jeans I wore on a daily basis. For the first month, I was alternating between 2 pencil skirts, and 1 pair of dress pants*. I had a pair of white linen cropped pants which I wore on “casual” Fridays, but I felt it was too “casual” to wear between Monday – Thursday. I needed an updated and more sophisticated wardrobe.
Anyway, there were just so many great deals in July and August for things that were on my “list” that I just went a little bonkers and bought A LOT. Keep reading below for an inventory! 🙂
Fashion/Clothes
Clarks Flats – $70 (on sale)
I’ve been searching for the perfect pair of basic, comfortable, black flats, since, well, FOREVER. I love Clark’s shoes, even though a lot of their styles are a little “cloggish” to me, they also carry sleeker styles, which are really comfortable and quite affordable for amount of wear. I would have preferred the flats without the bow, but these were just so comfortable, that I couldn’t walk away (no pun intended).
Clarks Brown Sandal – $70 (on sale)
I had a pair of beloved brown wedges from Clarks which I sadly left behind in a hotel last summer. I called the hotel several times to ask them to send it back to me, but I never did receive it :(. I don’t have many pairs of sandals (summers are short in Canada), but I prefer a brown strapped sandal over a black strapped sandal. I stand at a towering 5’3″, and I find the brown sandal helps to lengthen my legs, as opposed to a black sandal which truncates my leg.
Payless Black Pumps – $25
The last time I bought a pair of shoes from Payless was in university, and I remember them not being very comfortable or of good quality, so I’ve stayed away. Then, I was in Payless with my mom looking for a pair of running shoes (she wanted a specific pair my sister got there), and noticed their “Comfort Plus Basic” line. These shoes were the exact classic, almond toed, 2.5″ basic black pump that I have been searching for! I’ve been wearing them all week at work, and can attest that they are indeed a great work shoe at an awesome bargain!
Ann Taylor Patent Leather Skinny Belts $46USD (on sale)
I love leather skinny belts! I experimented with a cheap H&M neon skinny belt, and I’ve been wearing it so much that it’s all frayed now. So, when I saw an Ann Taylor patent neon yellow skinny on sale, I couldn’t resist! Then, I saw the patent black leather on sale, and I couldn’t resist that either…
J Crew Minnie Wool Pants – $118 USD
I’ve been hearing so many rave reviews about the Minnies [thanks, Mochi!] that I had to try them out on my recent trip to the USA. I walk about 2.5km to and from work every day, and I do it in flats, so I really wanted some nice tapered work pants, that wouldn’t drag on the ground in flats. There were almost the perfect pair of work pants – they fit me very well, had belt loops (seriously, why make pants without belt loops?), and had a bit of stretch. My only qualm is that I wish the wool was lined!!
Leopard Print Infinity Scarf $20
I’ve been searching for the perfect leopard print scarf, and I even bought one in Hong Kong, only to be unsatisfied. So this one is really perfect. The material is soft, and the print is perfect.
Gap Coral Jeans $30 (on sale)
I am completed in love with Duchess Kate’s wardrobe and I loved her coral jeans. I had a pair of cobalt blue Gap jean leggings from February (but then I botched them in the washing machine – doh!), so when I came across these coral ones, I knew it was fate :). These jeans are super comfy and bring some much needed colour in my boring vanilla wardrobe.
Talulu Navy Shorts $35 (on sale)
I don’t usually shop at Aritzia [how teenagers afford it is beyond me], but these shorts caught my eye and my co-worker talked me into it. I’m glad I got them because these shorts are so comfy and chic. I’ve worn them almost everyday since I got them!
Ralph Lauren Aviators $120 (on sale)
I’ve been craving a pair of aviators since last summer. I love the lassez-faire, yet glamorous look to them, and I love that most of them come with polarized lens. These pair of Ralphs are made for women, so they aren’t as overwhelmingly large as some unisex aviators were on my smaller framed face.
Beauty
Urban Decay Naked Palette – $60
I’ve been eyeing the Naked palette since it first came out, and haven’t been able to bite the bullet. In fact, I bought several other palettes which were “dupes” (i.e., Sephora moonbaked, QUO smokey eye palettes, NYC, etc) for the Naked, but not quite. So, I used a $25 gift card and scooped up the original Naked palette. And as I paid for it, the SA mentioned that she’s seen me in the Shoppers Drugmart before petting looking at the palette…
Cover FX Concealer – $24
I have been having such a hard time with breakouts this summer. I’ve heard great things about Cover FX, and I wanted to try their concealer. I love it! It’s got great coverage and I only use a tiny dot for my blemishes and under eyes.
Cover FX Blotting Powder – $22
I’ve been using the MAC blotting powder religiously for the past 4 years, but lately, I’ve been finding the powder falls apart as soon as I hit pan, and I wasted so much make-up that way. *sigh* I gave Cover FX a try, as I have been quite satisfied with their products and their price points are comparable to MAC. So far, I really like this powder – I use it with the concealer and it’s awesome.
Home
IKEA Statement Full Length Mirror – $80
I haven’t had a (non-warped) full-length mirror, and I think that I will need one in order to work on my style. I also think that large statement mirrors not only add a perception of more space in a room, but also just looks so elegant.
Used Wooden Dresser – $25
I haven’t owned a real dresser, ever. I really needed a dresser (my closet is pretty small), and I wanted to put my “vanity area” on the top surface of my dresser. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money, I decided to use a used dresser as my project – I will need to sand down the dresser and paint it. The dresser above is a similar dresser – I couldn’t find my camera to snap a pic.
Used Antique Mirror – $25
I saw a beautiful antique mirror as I was browsing for my dresser on Kijiji, so I picked it up, as well. The mirror I got is a similar shape, but has been painted a mint green, so I will have a little project to strip the paint, sand it down, and repaint.
IKEA Step Stools (2) – $30
I saw these little guys and thought one would make a great little night stand – I asked BF to cut a piece of wood to fit in the bottom for a shelf. The second step stool, I was use as a purse holder, since I tend to just drop by bag on the floor when I get home.
Shark Clothes Steamer – $65 (on sale)
I hate ironing. And it was on sale for half price. Fate, I tell you.
Shark Steam Mop – $50 (my half – on sale)
My new apartment has all hardwood floors, and as beautiful as it looks, it was tough to keep clean. Not to mention both my sister and I hate mopping. This little guy is AMAZING, and it was also half off. Done.
Miscellaneous hooks, filing, storage – $100 (guestimate)
I bought a bunch of stuff to help organize my closet, including an extra rail to increase closet space, some velour hangers, purse holders and some hooks.
Gifts
Ray Ban Aviators $190 (on sale)Not only was a very generous to myself this month, I was also generous to others :). BF was going to do his MBA, and I’ve wanted to get him a pair of nice polarized sunglasses for the longest time [we’ve been quasi sharing my old banged up polarized pair for the past few years]. He wore them as soon as we got outdoors, and kept exclaiming how everything was so clear! Adorable 🙂
GPS – $180 ($60 is my portion – on sale)
It was my dad’s birthday in August, and my sisters and I pitched in to get him a GPS. Even though, my dad kept saying he didn’t need one, and listed out a gazillion reasons why he didn’t need one, he secretly wanted one. So, we got him one that also speaks Cantonese (quite common), and he can use all over North America. He loved it.
In conclusion
Total spent on “just stuff”, as Gail would say: $1,264 + taxes = $1,401.
Whew! Even though this is a lot of money, it’s not so bad now that I have it written out.
Please note: I assumed $1USD = $1CND, as the Canadian Dollar is basically at parity. Items which I didn’t add a 13% tax are USD items and my used items.
Sooo… what did you buy in August and July? I’d love to hear about your purchases 🙂
Cheers,